Hope rewrite
by Kedez
Summary: An ancient battle between the Dark Forest and StarClan results in StarClan's defeat. In their negotiations for peace, the Dark Forest demands that five cats, one from each Clan, be sacrificed each season to try and end the curse. There is a rumor, a whisper, of a prophecy surrounding the cat fated to save the Clans, but will this cat accept their destiny?
1. Introductions

Hello to anyone and everyone crazy enough to be reading this! This story may seem familiar-and that's because you've read it before. This is a re-write of a story that I wrote my sophomore year in high school and happened to stumble upon recently. I'd always wanted to re-write it but never had the time. Now that I have a little bit of free time on my hands, I'm going to challenge myself to re-write this. I'm not sure if I'm going to re-write the sequel since I never finished it in the first place! I have all the plot notes, and I know exactly what's meant to happen, but I might just end Hope in such a way that there's no need for a sequel. But, I'm entitled to changing my mind, so we shall see! Enjoy the new version!

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ALLEGIANCES

**THUNDERCLAN**

LEADER: LONGSTAR-black and white tom with a long tail

DEPUTY: TIGERHEART-small dark gray tabby she-cat; polydactyl

APPRENTICE, SKYPAW

MED CAT: LEOPARDCLAW-light brown tom with black spots

WARRIORS

OWLMOON-dark brown tabby tom with icy blue eyes

APPRENTICE, DAWNPAW

WHITEBLOSSOM-pretty white she-cat with green eyes

MOLEWHISKER-brown tabby tom

SABLECLAW-smoky gray she-cat

APPRENTICE, SANDPAW

LIONPELT-tawny tom with orange eyes

KESTRELWING-dappled gray tom

APPRENTICE, BLACKPAW

PINEFROST-dark brown tom

APPRENTICE, RAVENPAW

THISTLETAIL-ginger tom with green eyes

APPRENTICES

SKYPAW-blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

DAWNPAW-blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

SANDPAW-sandy ginger tom with black flecks along his spine

BLACKPAW-long-haired black tom

RAVENPAW-black tom with a white chest

QUEENS

PUDDLEFOOT-pretty silver tabby she-cat, Kestrelwing's mate

GRAYKIT-longhaired gray tom

ASHKIT-dark gray tabby tom

DAPPLEKIT-pretty silver she-cat with darker splotches

TAWNYFUR-tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, Molewhisker's mate

PLUMKIT-dark brown tabby she-cat

ROBINPELT-dark brown tabby she-cat, Pinefrost's mate

BLUESTORM-long-haired glue-gray she-cat with one blind eye, oldest queen

ELDERS

STEMTAIL-ginger and white she-cat with a fluffy tail, oldest cat in ThunderClan

RUSTFUR-lithe red tom, blind

SHADECLAW-black tom with no ears

CLOUDPATCH-once-pretty black and white she-cat

**WINDCLAN**

LEADER: FEATHERSTAR-beautiful silver she-cat

DEPUTY: GALESTORM-light gray tom with curly fur

MED CAT: EMBERFUR-skinny ginger tom

WARRIORS

SLEETFUR-handsome white tom

BREEZERUNNER-swift calico she-cat

DUSTFUR-red-brown tom

ELDERS

WILDROSE-brown tabby she-cat

CRICKETSONG-tawny brown tom

**RIVERCLAN**

LEADER: CINDERSTAR-smoky gray tom

DEPUTY: STONEHEART-large black tom

MED CAT: MOUSEPELT-pretty light brown she-cat

WARRIORS

ROWANHEART-dark ginger tom with a white underside

APPRENTICE, MINNOWPAW

PEBBLECLAW-gray tom with blue eyes

APPRENTICE, KOIPAW

QUEENS

SPLASHFOOT-pretty gray she-cat

ELDERS

SUNSTRIPE-ginger tom with dark tabby stripes

MUDPELT-long-haired brown tom

**SHADOWCLAN**

LEADER: LIGHTNINGSTAR-bright ginger she-cat with orange eyes

DEPUTY: SOOTPELT-black tom

MED CAT: DOGNOSE-white tom with dark brown tabby splotches and a black nose, blind

WARRIORS

POPPYTHORN-light brown she-cat

FOXTAIL-ornery bright ginger tom

NIGHTSTORM-long-haired black she-cat

QUEENS

MINTWHISKER-pretty white she-cat

ELDERS

ICETALON-blue-gray she-cat with white paws

**SKYCLAN**

LEADER: COPPERSTAR-dark brown tabby tom

DEPUTY: YELLOWSTRIPE-yellow tabby she-cat

MEDICINE CAT: NETTLEWHISKER-brown tabby tom

WARRIORS

WOLFHEART-long-legged dark gray tabby tom

ELDERS

LEECHBITE-black tom

* * *

_**Chapter One**_

_The bitter scent of mouse-bile _sickened Skypaw, but her pride and starvation kept the tiny bit of food lodged in her belly. She gently kneaded the elder's skin, plucking off pesky ticks as she went. She took extra care not to stain the elder's snow-white fur in search of the ugly parasites. These days, the elders weren't the only ones suffering from ticks, and she felt her pelt begin to squirm.

_You're next_, she thought angrily.

"That's enough now, Dawnpaw," a raspy voice murmured. Skypaw glanced up at Stemtail, the eldest of ThunderClan's cats, and Dawnpaw, her sister. Stemtail ran her long, billowy tail across Dawnpaw's shoulders to dismiss her. Her white pelt was glossy, and the flame-colored patches along her flanks shone with health. "I'm clean now," she said. "Go tend to Rustfur."

Purring, Dawnpaw backed away and bowed her head. "Of course," she replied. "Let me know if you need my help for anything else."

With narrowed eyes, Skypaw watched her mirror image pad gracefully across the den. Her blue-gray pelt rippled like a pool of water, and her feather-soft fur seemed to dance along her flanks. She and Dawnpaw were identical twins with the same blue-gray coats and bright blue eyes. Few cats knew the differences between them. Dawnpaw, the prettier and softer sister, had a longer tail by nearly a mouse-length, which she loved to show off by touching the top of her head with the tip of her tail. Skypaw, the scruffier and leaner sister, had a scar above her right eye that hooked from the corner of her eye to her forehead. She'd scratched herself by accident in an escape attempt as a kit. She was trying to follow her father into the forest when she tripped and sliced her forehead open. Unfortunately for Skypaw, the wound was old, and while her closest friends could clearly see it, her fur often shielded it from the eyes of others.

"That's not Dawnpaw!" snapped Shadeclaw, the eldest tom and by far the most senile. He had a pelt as black as night and yellow eyes like bolts of lightning. He lost the majority of his ears and his sanity in a battle with WindClan. He let out a hiss and motioned to Dawnpaw with his bony tail. "That's Skypaw! You're always confusing them!"

"Oh, no, Shadeclaw," purred Cloudpatch, the youngest and prettiest of the elders whom Skypaw was groming. She touched Skypaw's shoulder with her tail. "_This _is Skypaw. Can't you see her scar?"

Skypaw gave a low purr. She loved the elderly she-cat dearly. She had black fur like Shadeclaw, but her paws, tail, and her left cheek were snow-white. She was the mother of their current leader, Longstar, and Skypaw's most loyal advocate. Whenever Skypaw needed a break from her sister, she sought out Cloudpatch, who always had an amusing story about Longstar or a piece of advice. She never once mistook her for her sister.

The black tom narrowed his eyes at Dawnpaw and then at Skypaw. "I see," he muttered darkly. "Sorry."

Dawnpaw let out a purr and trotted over to Rustfur, a skinny red-brown tom. "It's alright, Shadeclaw," she said sweetly. She winked at Skypaw, who shuddered just slightly. "I don't mind being mistaken for such a pretty she-cat."

Oh the flattery! Dawnpaw's most annoying trait was her manipulative streak. She knew every quirk and every purr she needed to get on the Clan's good side, and she used it for pure evil-namely shoving Skypaw out of the spotlight where _she _belonged. She always knew the right thing to say, which made her the most popular of the pair by far. Skypaw sneered at her when Dawnpaw turned her back. The Clan thought Dawnpaw was the sweet, lovable she-cat she pretended to be, but she couldn't fool Skypaw. She knew her sister's true nature, and a part of her feared it. Something in the tilt of her sister's head and the glint of her eyes told Skypaw that she had secrets—secrets that could destroy them both.

She remembered with a scowl the day of their last hunting assessment. Naturally, Skypaw was the more successful of the two, but she made the grave error of telling Dawnpaw where she'd hidden her prey when they ran into one another at the river. At sundown, when the assessment had ended, Skypaw went to fetch her prey only to find that it had all been dug up. She ran to camp, and her jaw dropped. Dawnpaw had stolen her prey and was taking all the credit! Skypaw explained to her mentor, Tigerheart, what had happened, and she even told Owlmoon, Dawnpaw's mentor. Owlmoon scolded Skypaw for lying about her sister, and Tigerheart reassured her that there would be other chances. Skypaw pictured the smirk on Dawnpaw's face as the Clan crowded around to congratulate her. From that day forward, Skypaw knew they were at war.

The blue-gray apprentice swallowed at the thought and refocused her attention on Cloudpatch's pelt.

"Aren't you darling," purred Rustfur. He was blind, but he recognized the scents of other cats around him, thus he almost never confused the sisters. The 'almost never' refers to the times when Dawnpaw and Skypaw emerge from the woods smelling almost identical. "I remember when I first met you two," he murmured softly. "You were less than a moon old. You've both grown so much. Your mother ought to proud of you."

"She is," Dawnpaw replied. "She loves us both very much."

At that, Skypaw allowed herself a mute smirk. No, Dawnpaw, their mother didn't love them both. She loved _Skypaw_, and Skypaw would never let her forget it. Their mother, Bluestorm, was perhaps the only other cat in the Clan that saw through Dawnpaw's façade.

"Rustfur," Stemtail chuckled, "why all the nostalgia?"

"I always mutter like this before warriors' ceremonies," he meowed. "It's such a pivotal moment in a young cat's life."

His response made a Skypaw tremble in anticipation. That's right; Longstar promised them yesterday that he'd make them warriors at the moonhigh, after the Selection. Skypaw clawed the ground in anticipation. The sooner she became a warrior, the sooner she could get as far away from her sister as possible.

"It's not just that, is it?" murmured Stemtail. "You're worried about the Selection, aren't you?"

Skypaw stiffened. She hated when the elders talked about the Selection, especially since none of them were eligible. Before each Selection, the apprentices were assigned the task of preening the elders to show them off to the other Clans. The more elders a Clan had, the luckier they were. Elders were cats that not only survived the forest and its dangers but also managed to avoid being chosen to die a cruel, bloody death.

Rustfur lowered his head. Dawnpaw went to work on his flank, a cloudy look in her eyes. Dawnpaw always fretted at the mention of the Selection like a coward, while Skypaw ran battle tactics through her head. If chosen, she knew she'd fight to the death.

"I hope no apprentices are chosen," he said quietly. "It doesn't seem fair."

"If the Dark Forest were fair, they'd stop the Selection altogether," replied Cloudpatch. "But StarClan lost. We pay this price for our freedom and for the peace to live out our lives, however short."

"Have you two heard of the great battle?" asked Shadeclaw. He loved to tell stories, but he forgot details, changed outcomes, and confused characters. He told terrible renditions of every story Skypaw heard as a kit, but his worst was the story of how the Selection came to be after the battle between StarClan and the Dark Forest. His stories became more and more confusing as time went on.

"Yes, we have," Skypaw said, shooting her sister a glare, lest she give the tom any indication he was to continue.

"Then tell it," Shadeclaw ordered.

Skypaw shot up. "Pardon?"

"Tell the story. I want to be sure that you young cats know it as well."

The sisters exchanged looks. Dawnpaw looked horrified—of course she didn't know the story. Skypaw rolled her eyes and began. "Long ago, during the early days of the warrior code, StarClan fought to rid the forest of evil. The Dark Forest, those cats that died with black hearts, stalked the shadows and tortured the innocent. For years, StarClan and the Dark Forest battled for control over the Clans, until the conflict converged in one massive battle. Cats living and dead met on the battlefield with huge casualties on both sides. The five great leaders of the Clans saw that the Clans were losing, and they surrendered. They begged the Dark Forest for peace, and they agreed with a few conditions. They stole the sacred Mothermouth and transformed it into a dizzying maze. At the center of the maze, they stowed away the son of their leader, who was said to be a dreadful beast that fed on the flesh of warriors. Each year, the Clans were forced to give up sacrifices to be fed to the monster. It is said that the cycle will continue until the day that a warrior with a strong heart and sound body will slay the beast and escape the maze to break the curse."

The elders purred their approval. "Very good, Skypaw!" purred Cloudpatch. "You were always so attentive during the stories as a kit."

Skypaw looked to Shadeclaw, who, surprisingly, smiled. "Yes, excellent," he said. "Now, can you tell me the story of Gorsewind?"

Purring, Skypaw nodded. "Of course." That story just so happened to be her favorite because it rhymed. She drew herself up and began. "There once was a warrior with a pelt of stone—"

"Can we be quiet for a little while?" quipped Dawnpaw. The elders whipped their heads around to look at her. Skypaw let out a tiny growl. Her sister was jealous of all the attention she was getting. When confronted with the elders' surprised looks, Dawnpaw pulled on her best 'innocent' expression and lowered her eyes. "I'm nervous," she fibbed. "About the Selection. I need some time to think."

The elders softened their gaze while Skypaw nearly gagged. _Mouse-brains_, she thought. "Oh Dawnpaw, it'll be alright," purred Rustfur. "Remember, a lot of our Clanmates are safe."

"And the chances are that you won't be chosen," Rustfur meowed. He lowered his head and touched her neck with his nose. "Don't fret, my dear."

"I hope so," muttered Dawnpaw. She took a few steps back and examined Rustfur's coat. "Is that alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine now," Rustfur said.

"And I'm done too," Cloudpatch purred. She licked Skypaw's ear. "Thank you for your help."

Skypaw smiled and rubbed her cheek against Cloudpatch's. "You're welcome."

The apprentice turned to collect her supplies, but Cloudpatch's tail-tip stopped her. The elder reeled her in and whispered, "Don't be scared. I've been through a lot of Selections, and here I am, still alive. StarClan will protect you."

Skypaw shrugged it off. "I'm not scared, unlike Dawnpaw," she teased. "Even if I'm chosen, I'll fight. I'll fight for all the Clans."

Cloudpatch's eyes glowed with admiration and love. "I know," she replied. "That's why I'm scared for you." She shut her eyes and sighed heavily. "Please come back to me," she murmured. "I love you too much to see you go."

Guilt gripped Skypaw's heart. She purred again and touched Cloudpatch's nose. "I will come back to you," she promised. "I swear it."

The leaves around the entrance to the elders' den rustled in announcement. A bright ginger tom wriggled in through the thick plants. He turned his amber gaze about until he caught sight of Stemtail. He let out a purr and padded over.

"Hello, Auntie," he purred, rubbing his head against her flank. "You look gorgeous."

"Thank you, sweet Thistletail," Stemtail replied. "What brings you here?"

Skypaw twitched her tail as Thistletail's eyes met hers. He was a handsome tom with a vibrant pelt and shining eyes. Though only slightly older than the two apprentices, he made sure they remembered their place, which was under him. He loved being a warrior more than anything. He was arrogant, rude, brazen, and loud. Despite all this, Skypaw tolerated him because he was a decent warrior and a good cat to those in ThunderClan. He nodded to her and to Dawnpaw.

"Let's go, kitties," he said. "The feast started. Chop chop."

"Keep your fur on," snarled Dawnpaw under her breath. She motioned for Skypaw to follow. "We'll catch up. We have to go wash our paws in the river before I keel over from the smell."

Thistletail snorted and glared at Dawnpaw as they passed, and she returned the gesture. Something passed between them like a flash of lightning and then faded away. Skypaw wondered what had happened, but she pushed it down once they entered the trees. They walked side by side through the forest until they reached a nearby stream. Skypaw leapt into the stream eagerly and splashed Dawnpaw.

"You kit!" she hissed. "Now look at me!"

Skypaw smirked. "You look the same."

Frowning, Dawnpaw leaned down and licked the droplets of water off of her coat. "That Thistletail annoys me," Dawnpaw grumbled. "He's no where near attractive enough to be that obnoxious."

_Speak for yourself, _Skypaw thought, rolling her eyes.

Once they had washed up, they re-entered the camp and noticed that indeed the feast had started. The warriors and apprentices were spread throughout the camp sharing meals with one another. The other apprentices were lying outside their den, eating. Skypaw's stomach growled at the thought of food.

"Oi, Skypaw, Dawnpaw!" a tawny tom named Sandpaw called. "Come join us!"

Skypaw let out a purr and gladly took a mouse from the pile. Though small, it made her mouth water all the same. Dawnpaw took a finch. They made their way over to their friends, but a voice stopped them. Skypaw spotted Owlmoon, that useless mentor of Dawnpaw's. Her sister's eyes lit up at the sight of him. It was no secret to Skypaw—or any cat, really—that the two of them were interested in one another. Relationships between apprentices and mentors were generally rare and frowned upon. This one was no exception.

"I'm going to go eat with him," Dawnpaw told her. "I'll be back later to share tongues, alright? That pelt is in need of some washing."

_Don't hurry on my account,_ Skypaw thought as her twin ambled off. _My pelt will be fine without you. _The blue-gray apprentice joined her friends with a purr. Unlike Dawnpaw, who spent the majority of her time with warriors, Skypaw was good friends with their fellow apprentices. She settled between two black toms named Blackpaw and Ravenpaw, who were the sons of their current deputy and Skypaw's mentor, Tigerheart. Like Dawnpaw and Skypaw, the brothers were vastly different from one another. Blackpaw was longhaired and heavy-set while Ravenpaw was lithe and shorthaired. However, they both shared their deep brown eyes.

"How was grooming the elders?" purred her good friend, Sandpaw. He had liquid amber eyes and a pelt the color of freshly turned sand. A line of black spots followed the curve of his spine, and three rings circled the base of his tail. He was born to a she-cat named Robinpelt, and his two siblings had died soon after birth to an illness. His father was taken in the same battle that robbed Shadeclaw of his ears, however, his mother had recently moved back in the nursery, announcing that she was having kits with a tom named Pinefrost who was a few moons her elder. Sandpaw had resented his mother's new mate for about a half-moon before coming to terms with her decision. Sandpaw was the oldest of the apprentices but was forced to start his training late due to the same illness that killed his littermates.

Skypaw snorted at him. "I hated it. Shadeclaw mistook me for Dawnpaw, and he smelled _horrible_! Like crowfood!"

"At least they get crowfood," muttered Ravenpaw beside her. "I'd even eat kittypet food if it meant filling my stomach."

Blackpaw leaned over and whispered, "He snuck second helpings. Soon he'll be as fat as Puddlefoot!"

Ravenpaw swiped at his brother's head. "Who're you calling fat?" he hissed. "I'm half your size!"

With a mew of surprise, Skypaw rolled away in time to avoid Blackpaw's lunge for his brother. She hopped over to Sandpaw's side. Neither apprentice worried: the brothers fought with one another on a daily basis, and they never unsheathed their claws. Sandpaw shot Skypaw a look and rolled his eyes. They were about to break up the fight when a gray tabby padded over with a strange expression.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," purred Tigerheart, "but I'm pretty sure that Pinefrost and Kestrelwing aren't assessing you based on your ability to tear each other apart."

At the sound of their mother's voice, the two sprang apart. "Sorry, Mother," quipped Ravenpaw.

"Sorry," echoed Blackpaw.

Tigerheart laughed. She sat and curled her tail around her paws. "It's okay," she purred. "It was funny." The deputy turned her eyes on the other two apprentices. She nodded to both of them and winked at Skypaw. Tigerheart was by far the smallest warrior in ThunderClan, if not all the Clans. She was barely taller than her sons, who'd clearly inherited their height from their father. Tigerheart also had a strange pair of paws on her front legs. She had five toes instead of four like normal cats. They were white and sometimes looked like Twoleg paws. Regardless of her small size, Tigerheart was swift, strong, clever, and fiercely loyal. It's not wonder Longstar chose her as deputy. "Are you getting nervous yet, Skypaw?" she asked her apprentice. "It's a big day."

"I'm excited," Skypaw replied with a flick of her tail. "Has Longstar mentioned what my warrior name will be?"

"Not to me," purred Tigerheart. She turned back to her sons. "Now, you two behave yourselves. I'll not have you fighting at the Selection like you did at the last Gathering."

"Mother!" moaned Blackpaw. "I told you! That Minnowpaw started it! She said that Ravenpaw was a better warrior than me! I _had _to prove it to her!"

Tigerheart rolled her eyes. "I forget sometimes that you're actually apprentices," she scolded. She cuffed both sons over the head with her tail and got to her feet. "No more fighting, got it? Or I'll put you on extra elder duty for the rest of your lives."

The brothers straightened. Neither of them liked the elders very much as they never spoke well of them. In fact, not many cats in the Clans liked the brothers at all, due mostly to their suspicious conception. Though it was a queen's right to keep the father of her kits a secret, cats had started asking questions. Both of her sons had black pelts—the only other cat in the Clan with an all black pelt was Shadeclaw, Tigerheart's father. Regardless of the doubt surrounding her kits, Longstar's decision to name her as deputy was an obvious one, and she served her Clan well.

"Enjoy your meal, everyone," Tigerheart purred as she turned away. She suddenly stopped in her tracks, her tail going rigid. "Great StarClan…"

"What?" Sandpaw asked.

The deputy flicked her tail towards the corner of the camp, where Owlmoon and Dawnpaw were lying intertwined, grooming each other's pelts. Skypaw gagged and looked way. "That's disgusting," Tigerheart growled. "That Dawnpaw is a flirt enough as it is! Owlmoon should know better!"

Skypaw nodded in agreement, narrowing her eyes.

"Don't ever turn soft on me like that, Skypaw," purred Tigerheart. "I wouldn't be able to take it."

The apprentice nodded. "I promise I won't."

"Well, then, I'm off." She stretched before leaving. "Be ready at moonhigh!" she called over her shoulder.

The second she'd walked out of earshot, Blackpaw and Ravenpaw visibly relaxed. They slumped their shoulders and let out sighs of relief. "I swear I thought she'd take my ears off!" squeaked Ravenpaw.

"It's too bad she didn't," said a new voice, and Skypaw wondered how on earth all these warriors managed to sneak up on them! They looked up to see the dappled gray warrior Kestrelwing, who was Blackpaw's mentor. He padded over to his apprentice and playfully whacked him on the back of the head. "You were supposed to clean the elders' bedding today," he growled, though his tone was light. "What kept you so busy that you managed to forget?"

"I-I'm sorry," Blackpaw stammered. "I went hunting with Lionpelt and Longstar! I was trying to impress him, and I totally forgot!"

"Well, lucky you, there's plenty of time before we leave for the Selection," Kestrelwing purred. "Why don't you get to it?"

"Yes, Kestrelwing," Blackpaw muttered sadly. He got to his feet, and Ravenpaw let out a purr of amusement. Blackpaw sent his brother a death glare.

"Oh, you thought that was funny, huh?" Kestrelwing asked him. "Why don't you help out?"

Ravenpaw's purr died. "W-What?"

"You heard me." Kestrelwing flicked his tail towards the elders' den. "And hurry, why don't you? Shadeclaw is getting impatient." The gray warrior turned to Sandpaw and Skypaw and winked, purring. "You two get out of here before I enlist you!" he purred. "Hurry!"

"No need to tell us twice," Sandpaw chuckled. He got up and motioned for Skypaw to follow. "Come on. Let's go visit my mom in the nursery."

Skypaw brightened. She loved playing with the kits. She especially loved Tawnyfur's kit, Plumkit. The two of them once snuck into the forest and played Clan war before Tigerheart caught her and punished her by making her go on extra patrols for nearly a moon.

"We should take them something to eat," Skypaw suggested. "They may not know that the feast has started."

Sandpaw nodded and took a mouse from the pile. Skypaw found a blackbird she thought Tawnyfur and Plumkit would like and padded after him. She thought maybe they could play with the feathers when they were done. The entered the warm hollow of the nursery, and the first queen they met was Robinpelt. She was lying on her side, and she jolted awake at the sound of their approach.

"Oh, sorry to wake you," Sandpaw meowed. He gestured with the mouse. "I thought you might be hungry."

She purred and beckoned him with her tail. "Thank you, Sandpaw." Robinpelt turned and ran her tail along the silver-tabby pelt of Puddlefoot, the mother of Kestrelwing's kits. "Would you like to share?"

Puddlefoot nodded. "Yes, thank you." She moved over to sit next to her expectant friend. "It's so nice of you busy apprentices to visit us. Oh, I'm sorry." She purred and dipped her head to Skypaw. "That's right. Kestrelwing told me you won't be an apprentice for much longer. Congratulations."

Skypaw dipped her head in return. "Thank you!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Skypaw caught Sandpaw's ears flattening against his head at the mention of her warrior ceremony. _He should be there with me,_ she thought, touching her tail-tip to his shoulder. _It's not fair. _The illness that nearly killed him kept Sandpaw out of full training for nearly a moon, restricting him to simple skills like hunting crouches and lessons on the Warrior Code. It had almost driven him mad with jealousy to see cats younger than him progressing in their training while he and his mentor, Sableclaw, reviewed the same moves over and over to fill the time.

"Sandpaw, Sandpaw!" a tiny voice squeaked, tearing Skypaw from her thoughts. A gray kit squealed excitedly as he clambered over Puddlefoot to barrel into the apprentice. "We missed you! How come you haven't come in a while?"

"Yeah, you haven't visited us in so long!" meowed a second gray kit, this one a bit lighter and thinner than his brother. He too hopped on Sandpaw, burying the poor apprentice in a wriggling mass of gray fur. He let out a huff at the weight on his belly.

"Pile on Sandpaw!" mewed the last of Puddlefoot's kits, a dappled gray she-cat, as she launched herself from Puddlefoot's flank into the air.

She landed on him harshly, and Sandpaw grunted in pain. "I give up, I give up!" he purred. "Let me go! It's too much!" He rolled through the soft moss to try and shake them. "Great StarClan, you're so powerful!"

The queens purred as they watched Sandpaw finally get to his feet. He dropped to a crouch and raised a paw. "Hah-hah! I'm Blizzardstar, the evil ShadowClan leader, and now that I'm back on my feet, I can take all three of you at once!"

"No you won't!" cried the thick, gray tom. "Attack!"

"Attack?!" Sandpaw purred as they rushed forward. "What are three puny ThunderClan warriors to a great fighter like me?"

The kits sprang at him at once and knocked him over a second time. The queens purred as he playfully swiped at the trio of kits. "He's so good with them," purred Puddlefoot. "I hope he takes on of them as his apprentice when he's a warrior."

Skypaw was about to agree when she felt a light poke at her side. She looked down to see Plumkit staring up at her with wide, blue eyes. "Can I share your bird?" she mewed shyly.

"Of course you can!" Skypaw set it down. "I brought it for you. Here. When you're done, we can play with the feathers!"

Plumkit purred and dug right in. Tawnyfur emerged from the back of the nursery where she'd been sleeping, judging by her half-open eyes and loud yawn. "Hello, Skypaw," she meowed. Tawnyfur saw her kit eating and smiled. "Did you bring that for her?" Skypaw nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome to it as well," Skypaw said. "Please."

The queen purred her thanks and joined her kit.

"Ah! I'm finished! You've taken my last life!"

Skypaw turned her attention back to Sandpaw, who now lay on his side, dramatically twitching his body as if he were in death throws. "Good-bye cruel world! I go to join StarClan…" With that, he shut his eyes, stuck out his tongue, and pretended to be dead.

"We got him!" cried the thick tom. "Slimy piece of no good fox-dung! That miserable heap of—"

"Graykit!" Puddlefoot scolded. "Where did you ever hear words like that?"

Graykit cowered beneath his mother's gaze. "Father."

"Is that so?" The silver queen flicked her tail in annoyance as the rest of the nursery began to purr. Every cat knew that Kestrelwing had a loose tongue and a huge vocabulary, which apparently ran in the family. Puddlefoot smiled weakly, though it was clear she was trying to keep in her anger at her mate. "I supposed I'll have to talk to that bad-mouthed tom."

"Is Father in trouble?" piped the she-cat.

"_Oh yes_, Dapplekit," Puddlefoot chuckled darkly. "I ought to take his ears off!"

"But then he'd look just as ugly as that awful Shadeclaw!" meowed the light gray tom.

"Ashkit!" snapped Puddlefoot, completely mortified by her kit's insult. "Shadeclaw is an honorable warrior who has served this Clan for many moons! Did you hear your _Father _say that too?"

Ashkit shuffled his feet. "Maybe…" Then he grinned. "But I agree!"

"What am I going to do with them?" Puddlefoot purred to Robinpelt, who was finishing off her mouse.

The brown tabby licked her lips and shrugged. "I'd say let it happen. We can't possibly expect Kestrelwing to be the _only_ entertaining cat in ThunderClan!"

Puddlefoot sighed as they all purred. Skypaw felt prodding at her side again and looked down to see that Plumkit had finished and had feathers all over her chin. "I'm done!" she mewed.

"I can see that," Skypaw purred, wiping the feathers away with her paw. "There. Much better."

There was movement beside her, and Sandpaw opened an eye. "Is it safe to revive now?"

"No!" Graykit pounced on him again, right on his belly. Sandpaw grunted loudly. "You're still dead, Blizzardstar!"

"Be gentle with my poor son!" purred Robinpelt. "He's got to travel a long way to Fourtrees tonight."

Everyone stiffened at the mention of the Selection. All the queens were exemption from going in order to take care of their kits. They would be alone in the camp that night, praying that none of their older children would be chosen by the Dark Forest.

"I think your mother was looking for you, Skypaw," meowed Tawnyfur, hoping to change the subject. "I'm not sure where she went off to."

"She must've needed a break after looking after those menaces all day," purred Robinpelt, flicking her tail to where Puddlefoot's kits were still swarming around Sandpaw.

After the death of her mate, Skypaw's mother Bluestorm had chosen to stay in the nursery to help look after the other queens' kits. She often took warrior duties when necessary, but she told her daughters that she felt StarClan was calling her to protect the precious few kits ThunderClan had.

Skypaw opened her mouth to reply when the leaves around the entrance rustled, and Molewhisker, Tawnyfur's mate, ambled in. He was carrying a mouse. When he caught sight of the gathering in the nursery, he cocked his head and set the mouse down to speak. "I wasn't expecting company," he meowed as Plumkit bounded over to him. "Hello, you," he purred, licking her between the ears. "I brought this for you."

"Skypaw beat you to it," purred Tawnyfur as she came to greet her mate. She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder as he gave her ear a loving lick. "We've already eaten."

"I'm sure my three would appreciate the meal," Puddlefoot said, herding her kits back over to her side. "And I think poor Sandpaw would be happy to have them distracted."

Sandpaw, free at last, got to his feet and shook the moss out of his pelt. "Thanks," he purred, nodding to Puddlefoot. He playfully hissed at the kits. "And Blizzardstar will be back to fight another day!"

The kits cried out in protest, but Molewhisker silenced them with the prospect of food. "Tigerheart told me to spread the news that we're leaving soon," Molewhisker meowed as the kits dug in. "The sky's getting darker by the second."

Skypaw looked up through the gaps in the nursery roof and frowned. He was right. The Selection was quickly approaching.

"Let's get out of here before the kits skin me," Sandpaw whispered in her ear.

She nodded, and the two apprentices said their good-byes before padding back into the camp. The warriors had all gathered now and were sharing kills and grooming one another. Thistletail sat between Lionpelt and Sableclaw, and judging by the excitement in his voice and the reactions of his companions, he was telling a story of the Clan's recent battle with ShadowClan over a border near the Thunderpath. Thistletail caught her staring and paused his story for a moment, long enough for Lionpelt and Sableclaw to look over their shoulders to try and find what he was staring at. Neither of them spotted her as Skypaw and Thistletail stared each other down. Skypaw felt something crawling under her skin and looked away. When she glanced up again, Thistletail had continued the story as if nothing had happened.

Sandpaw touched his tail to her shoulder and scared her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled. _What in StarClan's name was that_? she thought. "I…I was just thinking about the Selection."

Sandpaw snorted. They caught sight of Pinefrost as he came towards them carrying a shrew. "If you're going to the nursery, don't bother," Sandpaw told him. "I already brought Mom food. Molewhisker's in there now."

Pinefrost rolled his eyes and set the shrew down. "That's too bad," he purred. "I was hoping to see Robinpelt before the Selection. I've been so busy lately." He looked off towards the medicine cat's den. "Do you think Leopardclaw has had anything yet?"

"I haven't seen him," said Skypaw. "I think he's still tending to Whiteblossom's paw."

"I'll go see if either of them is hungry," Pinefrost meowed. "See ya. Oh, and congrats, Dawnpaw. Tigerheart just told me you and your sister would be receiving your warrior names soon. She's bragging about it to everyone!"

Skypaw winced. "I'm Skypaw."

Pinefrost frowned and cast his gaze to his paws. "I-I'm sorry," he mumbled. "My bad."

He trotted away, mouse in tow, and Sandpaw let out a hiss in his direction. "He really ticks me off," he hissed. "He's arrogant, foolish, annoying, clingy, loud-mouthed—"

Skypaw stopped him by tapping his nose with her tail-tip. "Stop. I think he likes you. He's just worried about what you think of him, seeing as he's your mother's new mate. He's trying his best to be nice."

Sandpaw shrugged. "He could stop trying. That may make me like him more."

They started walking towards the apprentices' den where, to Skypaw's astonishment, Dawnpaw was waiting. "What took you two so long?" she growled, her tail curling in annoyance. "Well, get over here. I have to wash you. No sister of mine will go to the Selection looking like that!"

Skypaw was about to retort when Sandpaw said, "I for one like the way Skypaw looks." He nodded at her, offering his support. "Her pelt may not be spotless, but it makes her look more like a warrior."

Dawnpaw snorted and stepped between them, narrowing her eyes. "Run along now, you oversized kit," she hissed.

A split second later, the tense moment ended with a loud yowl.

"To me, cats of ThunderClan."

It was Longstar, standing at his perch on the High Rock, his black fur shining in the moonlight. He was an old tom, the eldest of the four leaders, but he was relatively small like his deputy. His black-and-white pelt was littered with scars, and his muzzle was dappled with grey. The touches of age gave him a noble air, and every cat, even those in other Clans, gave him their full attention when he spoke.

Dawnpaw hissed in frustration and lashed her tail. "That's great!" she hissed. "Now we're out of time!" She stormed off towards the High Rock, leaving Sandpaw and Skypaw rooted in their place.

"I can't believe it's that late already," murmured Sandpaw. "It can't be."

Skypaw nodded slowly. There was no fighting it. In a few moments, she'd be marching to her first Selection.

She swallowed. _StarClan help me. _

* * *

So, is it better? No? Well, I don't care! :D Nah, just kidding. I hope (no pun intended) that you guys enjoy this version a hundred times more than you did the first. As you can already tell, there are going to be some changes around here, so don't be surprised if the plot changes in an unexpected way! Next chapter should be up in three days. Adios!


	2. Who, me?

_**Chapter Two**_

_Mews of confusion _echoed through the camp as the warriors gathered beneath the shadow of the Highrock. Tigerheart emerged from the crowd to stand under her leader, her eyes shining with an unrecognizable emotion. Sableclaw, a smoky gray she-cat and Sandpaw's mentor, joined the two apprentices with a grim expression. Molewhisker settled down at Skypaw's left.

"I can't believe the night went so quickly," he murmured.

Tawnyfur brushed against her mate and sat next to him. "I know," she mumbled. "It feels so strange."

"Cats of ThunderClan," Longstar said. "It is time for yet anther Selection. All cats are required by the warrior code to attend, and—" He stopped, frowning. His green eyes scanned the crowd, searching for a single cat. "Where is Leopardclaw?"

"Here!"

Heads turned to see Pinefrost and Leopardclaw on either side of a white she-cat name Whiteblossom, who was limping. She had injured her paw in the battle with ShadowClan, and it had gotten infected, restricting her to Leopardclaw's den for several days. Pinefrost guided her over to a spot at the back as the spotted medicine cat weaved through the crowd of cats. Leopardclaw was a relatively thin tom, though he hadn't always been that way. He was originally trained as a warrior alongside his brother, Lionpelt, but the former ThunderClan medicine cat received a sign before his death that named Leopardclaw his successor. He was a clever tom that enjoyed his duties, but every cat could see the jealousy in his eyes when the warriors returned from battle.

"Whiteblossom's paw will make a full recovery," he announced. "She should remain here tonight and continue her warrior duties in the morning."

The Clan let out a collective purr. Skypaw joined in reluctantly. She wasn't the white she-cat's biggest fan, but she supposed that she was happy Whiteblossom wasn't crippled.

"That's good news," purred Longstar. "And I hope that we will have more good news at the Selection." Cats murmured their agreement as Longstar did a quick head count. "Now that we're all here, we will begin our journey to Fourtrees."

He leaped down, and the cats began to follow him out of the hollow. Skypaw heard Molewhisker murmuring, "It's okay. I'll be back, I promise. Just make sure Plumkit gets enough sleep."

Skypaw looked back to see Tawnyfur burying her muzzle into her mate's flank, which shocked her. Tawnyfur was one of the senior warriors and a model of calm, never losing her temper in battle or showing emotion. Skypaw bit her lip and looked away, not wanting to pry into the pair's tender moment. After all, it could be one of their last together.

A blue-gray pelt brushed against her, and Skypaw flicked her ear to acknowledge Dawnpaw's presence. Her head was low, and her tail dragged through the dust.

"What's got you upset?" growled Skypaw "You seemed to be having a grand ole' time with Owlmoon."

"Shut your mouth," Dawnpaw hissed back. "My mate isn't any of your business."

"Mate?!" Skypaw exclaimed. "How could—"

"Shh!" Her sister silenced her with her tail and whipped her head around to be sure no warriors were listening. "Don't go screaming things like that. Yes, Owlmoon is my mate. We're in love."

"That's absurd!" Skypaw hissed. "He's your mentor! He's old!"

"He's not that old!" Dawnpaw snapped back. "Only three Selections."

"That's two more than you!"

Dawnpaw sighed angrily. "Look, Skypaw, I love him. That's the end of it. If you refuse to accept it, then just stay away from us! I don't care what you think."

Skypaw frowned. How adulterous! Luckily for Dawnpaw, a warm brush against Skypaw's pelt stopped any further arguments she had against her sister and her so-called 'mate'. Skypaw purred at the sight of Bluestorm, their mother, who had joined her daughters at last. Bluestorm's build and pelt were so similar to her daughters' that she was often referred to as the third twin. Her only difference was her eyes, which were green in contrast to Skypaw's blue. The blue had come from their father, she said. Bluestorm had long fur and a long tail like Dawnpaw, but her fur was scruffy like Skypaw. Bluestorm touched noses with Skypaw first, and Skypaw reveled in the tiny victory. Dawnpaw may have the rest of the Clan fooled, but their mother would always belong to Skypaw.

"I almost missed the Selection!" Bluestorm chuckled as she greeted Dawnpaw. "I was off seeing if I could find a sparrow I caught this morning. I hid it so well not even _I _could find it!" The three she-cats shared a purr, and Bluestorm laid her tail across Skypaw's shoulders. "I wish I could've given it to Tawnyfur. She needs food to keep Plumkit healthy."

"Sandpaw and I took them food earlier," Skypaw replied. "They were well-fed when we left."

Bluestorm purred in praise. "How kind of you. You'll make an excellent mother one day, Skypaw!"

Skypaw cringed. _Yeah right, _she thought, _and Dawnpaw will be deputy. _

"I've got news for you, Mother," purred Dawnpaw, trying, as always, to turn the attention on herself. "But you'll have to wait until after my warrior ceremony to get it!"

Bluestorm frowned. She hated waiting for anything. "Alright. Is it good news?"

"I think so!"

"Then I'm excited for it." She brushed both flanks with her tail and lowered her voice. "I love you both very much," she whispered. "I couldn't bear if anything happened to either of you."

_Don't worry about Dawnpaw, _Skypaw thought spitefully. _She'll be in the nursery, stuffed with kits within the moon! _"It'll be fine, Mother," Skypaw meowed instead. "Neither of us will be chosen. I know it."

"I pray you're right," murmured Bluestorm. "Now, I've got to talk to Lionpelt about something." She touched her nose to each of their cheeks before leaving.

"Wonder what she'd want with that ornery old badger," Skypaw muttered after her. She turned to her sister, who was dragging her tail again.

"Are you sure it won't be us?" whispered Dawnpaw.

"Stop being such a coward," she hissed. "I'm not scared of dying for my Clan. It's a natural thing. We'll be expected to fight to the death when we become warriors anyway."

Dawnpaw shook her head softly. "Not me," she whispered. "I'll be safe in the nursery—I'll have lots of beautiful kits, and I'll make Owlmoon proud. That's how I'll serve my Clan."

Skypaw couldn't believe her sister's fear. She as so scared of the Selection that she was willing to shut herself out of the world? How could there be anything greater than serving as a warrior? How could there be anything greater than standing beside her Clanmates and fighting and hunting and _living _for ThunderClan? It was all Skypaw had wanted since she was a little kit trying to sneak out of the camp on her father's heels.

_How can the two of us be related? _she thought. _We're as different as night and day!_

The sisters traveled in silence until at last Fourtrees appeared. By the scents on the wind, Skypaw could tell that RiverClan and WindClan were already there. The closer they got, the better the view she had of the gathered cats. She spied Featherstar and Cinderstar, the WindClan and RiverClan leaders, perched on the stones already and staring blankly out into the forest. There was little conversation between them or between any cats in the clearing.

"Don't worry," Kestrelwing, the dappled gray tom, meowed as if reading her thoughts. He jogged to match strides with Dawnpaw and Skypaw. "There's never a whole lot of talking going on here. Everyone is sulking about the Selection."

"Are you scared of being picked, Kestrelwing?" Dawnpaw asked.

Something flashed in his blue eyes, but it passed too quickly for Skypaw to catch it. She wondered if he thought of Puddlefoot, of his kits. She couldn't imagine starting a family and having such a peaceful life at camp when the threat of death hung so delicately in the air. The gray tom shrugged. "If I am, I am."

Longstar emerged to stand at the head of the group. He paused a moment, looking back to be sure that Tigerheart was close behind him. When he'd spotted the gray tabby at his heels, he flicked his tail to signal his Clan. They plunged into the clearing with little fan fair. Longstar leapt up to join the other two leaders while Tigerheart slipped in between Galestorm and Stoneheart, the two deputies. Dawnpaw disappeared in an instant, so Skypaw sought out Sandpaw, who was sitting near a group of WindClan cats.

As she made her way towards him, she caught sight of a puddle resting eternally at the base of the high stones. The moon's reflection glared at her from its glassy surface. Legend had it that after the great battle between the Dark Forest and StarClan, it rained for nearly a moon and flooded the entire forest. When the water receded at last, this puddle remained, unchanged for season after season. The puddle was called the Telling Pool, and it would reveal the faces of the five cats claimed by the Dark Forest.

She was so absorbed in the pool that she ran full-force into a wall of ginger fur with a loud, "_Oof!" _

"Watch it," hissed a familiar angry voice. Skypaw looked up to see Thistletail standing in her way. His tail twitched in annoyance. "You should be more careful, Sky_paw_," he spat, emphasizing her apprentice name. He lashed his tail once before storming off to join Lionpelt and Foxtail of ShadowClan, who shared his miserable temper.

_At least he didn't call me Dawnpaw, _Skypaw thought, sneering at the tom as he walked off. She made a mental note to hide thorns in his nest before padding over to join Sandpaw at last.

As she approached, she caught bits of the group's conversation. "I hope Breezerunner will be picked this year," said a red-brown tom named Dustfur. He gestured with his tail to a calico she-cat who was talking to Molewhisker and a few RiverClan cats. "She's always botching hunting patrols, and she let Sootpelt go after we caught him stealing prey!"

"That's horrible!" cried a white WindClan tom. "She doesn't deserve to die! No cat does…"

Dustfur narrowed his eyes. "Do you prefer it were you, Sleetfur?"

Sleetfur balked. "N-No."

"Then shut your mouth. I hope it's Breezerunner, and that's that. I don't want a _useful _warrior to die."

Skypaw growled in disagreement and settled down next to Sandpaw, who looked equally horrified by the tom's words.

"I wonder how many WindClan cats hope _he _gets chosen," Sandpaw whispered, and Skypaw purred in amusement.

"Who do you RiverClan cats reckon will be picked?" Dustfur asked. He directed his question at a speckled gray tom with white front paws.

The tom shrugged. "I've got no idea," he replied. "I hope it's not my apprentice. She just started her training."

"Hey, look!" cried a WindClan she-cat. "ShadowClan are here!"

Sure enough, the ShadowClan cats were racing down into the clearing, the young Lightningstar at their head. As her name suggested, she had a bright pelt that shone even in the darkness. She was the youngest of the four leaders, but certainly not the smallest. That coveted title belonged to Longstar, who was nearly head and shoulders shorter than her. Her deputy, Sootpelt, went over to where Tigerheart and the other deputies had been whispering amongst themselves. They fell silent the second he came within earshot, and Tigerheart in particular seemed unhappy to see him.

_I wonder what that's about_, Skypaw thought.

"There's Dognose," meowed Sandpaw. "I still can't get over how funny he looks."

Dognose, the ShadowClan medicine cat, walked into a shaft of moonlight, and his cloudy, blind eyes illuminated. He had an ivory white pelt with dark tabby splotches along his flanks and tail. His most distinctive feature was a black nose that could, supposedly, scent a droplet of blood in another Clan's territory. He walked over to Leopardclaw, Mousepelt, the RiverClan medicine cat, and Emberfur, the WindClan medicine cat. The medicine cats instantly struck up a conversation, acting much more friendly and welcoming than the group of deputies.

The ShadowClan cats began to mingle, and Skypaw recognized a few of them. She didn't know many cats outside ThunderClan because Tigerheart insisted that she not become attached to any of them. She either kept quiet at most Gatherings or sat near the elders and learned new stories. She did spot Poppythorn, a light brown she-cat that was kind to her at her first Gathering. Poppythorn went over to a group of queens that, for some reason, included Ravenpaw, who looked _honored _to be a part of the conversation.

"It's won't be long before SkyClan are here," said Dustfur. "Then we'll see who's picked."

Skypaw shivered. It was happening so fast!

A yowl signaled the arrival of SkyClan, led by Copperstar and Yellowstripe. Of all the Clans, Skypaw knew the least about the long-legged bird hunters. They stuck to themselves and rarely engaged in border fights. They were reserved and private, hardly speaking at Gatherings and weaving an air of distance with their stares. She knew their medicine cat, Nettlewhisker, a brown tabby with a splash of white on his muzzle. His tail swayed back and forth like an agitated snake as he made his way towards the other medicine cats. She also recognized Leechbite, the Clan's only elder. A fire had swept through SkyClan territory three moons ago, and three of their elders became trapped in the burning camp. Leechbite's pelt was glossy and well groomed, and he approached the small cluster of elders with his head held high.

Copperstar leapt up to join the leaders, and Featherstar yowled for silence.

"Cats of all Clans," he pretty voice called. "It is time to begin the Selection. I, Featherstar of WindClan, will go first."

She jumped down from the rock and stepped up to the Telling Pool. Featherstar reached out and placed her paw delicately in the water. The clearing fell silent. A moment later, the puddle rippled to life and left a hazy white image in its wake.

Featherstar lifted her head with saddened eyes. "Sleetfur."

Skypaw turned to the handsome white tom that had spoken earlier. His blue eyes were wide, and his tail had gone rigid from the shock. He was frozen in place for several tense heartbeats, his eyes brimming with the beginnings of tears. Skypaw's heart began to race. What if he refused to move?

Then Dustfur got up from his place and padded over to him, his former harshness now gone from his face. He nudged Sleetfur gently. "Go," he murmured to his Clanmate. "Go. It's going to be okay."

Sleetfur turned to him, his whole body trembling, and he stared at Dustfur blankly. He got slowly to his shaky legs and stumbled through the crowd, his gaze locked on Featherstar and the Telling Pool. At last he reached the edge of the pool and stood before his leader.

"Do you accept your fate as a sacrifice to save your Clan?" Featherstar asked.

"I-I-I…" Sleetfur trailed over, casting his gaze over his shoulder to his Clanmates. "I-I… I do."

Featherstar touched her nose to his and stepped back. Sleetfur remained standing beside the pool, waiting for the representatives from the other Clans. He stared down at his paws, his face dumb with shock. Every cat could see the tears in his eyes.

This was how the Selection worked.

One cat from every Clan was chosen once a year. The next day, at sundown, the five chosen cats, the medicine cats, and the leaders would all journey to the place where the Moonstone once stood. The five cats would enter the cave. No cat has ever come out. It is tradition, however, for the medicine cats and leaders to wait outside the exit in the slim chance that one of the chosen survived. There was a prophecy—or, rather, a rumor of a prophecy—that foretold the day when a single cat would survive, thus ending the curse forever, but no cat could remember where it came from, and few knew what exactly it entailed.

Skypaw felt pity for Sleetfur overwhelm her as Cinderstar stepped down, and Featherstar rejoined the other leaders. Cinderstar paused a moment, his gaze sweeping over the group as if wondering which of these faces would appear. He reluctantly placed his paw in the water. A ginger shape appeared on the water. He murmured something no cat could hear before he lifted his head and said, "Rowanheart."

Yowls of dismay sprang up from the RiverClan warriors. They parted, and Skypaw watched a rather handsome ginger tom with a white underbelly begin to make his way towards the pool. While Sleetfur had been clumsy with grief over being chosen, Rowanheart was almost proud of it, holding his head and his tail high as padded towards his leader.

Suddenly, a pale gray she-cat jumped into his path, her tail lashing wildly and her eyes soaked with tears. "No!" she shrieked. "You can't! Not again!" She whipped around to Cinderstar and let out a furious snarl. "You can't have another one of my kits! I won't let you take him!"

Rowanheart rubbed his cheek against hers, and the she-cat's fur began to lie flat. "It's alright, Mother," he whispered. "StarClan have called me, and I have to answer."

The she-cat backed away from her son and stared at him with horror and confusion. "Don't you love me?" she demanded, the pain thick in her voice. "Don't you love me enough to fight this?"

Rowanheart's eyes darkened as well as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead to his mother's. "Of course I love you," he murmured, quiet enough that only a few cats could hear. "I will always love you, but I have to go now."

A tiny tortoiseshell she-cat appeared beside the frantic queen and touched her tail to her shoulder. "I'll keep her here," she said stiffly. "You…" She stole a glance behind her to where Cinderstar was waiting. Not even he was immune to the scene before him—his expression was dark, and he avoided the she-cat's gaze. "You should go," she meowed, this time louder. "I love you."

Rowanheart dipped his head. "Thank you, Koipaw." He brushed his tail across his mother's flank as he passed her.

Koipaw shielded the queen from further interrupting his journey to the Telling Pool. All the while, the RiverClan cats wished him good luck and whispered their condulances. Rowanheart ignored everyone and everything, his ears and eyes trained solely on Cinderstar. He stopped at the lip of the Telling Pool and dipped his head to his leader.

"Rowanheart," Cinderstar meowed, the sadness evident in his voice. "Do you accept your fate as a sacrifice to save your Clan?"

"I do."

The leader touched his nose and whispered something to him. Rowanheart nodded in reply and went over to sit beside Sleetfur, who was still staring down at his paws. The RiverClan warrior whispered in his ear, but Sleetfur's expression remained unmovable.

Next, Lightningstar jumped down. She wasted no time in touching her paw to the pool, and Skypaw saw a black smudge on the water's surface. Lightningstar too muttered something to herself before raising her head and saying, "Nightstorm."

ShadowClan cats cried out, and Lightningstar shut her eyes to drown out their wails of agony. Skypaw saw a longhaired black she-cat making her way through the crowd. Skypaw thought she remembered the she-cat from somewhere, but she couldn't place her. Had they met at Gathering before? Nightstorm was a large she-cat, taller than most, and she carried herself without fear. She was at her leader's side instantly. She looked almost eager, as if she relished the chance to take on the warriors of the Dark Forest, even if it meant certain death.

"Do accept your fate as a sacrifice to your Clan?"

"I do."

Thus, Nightstorm took her place as the third chosen cat.

Skypaw suddenly felt nervousness seizing her limbs. By the way Sandpaw pressed her pelt against hers, she could tell he felt the same. This left just Copperstar before Longstar stepped up to steal one of her friends away forever. Would it be Kestrelwing, who claimed he was ready to die but had a mate and kits waiting for him? Would it be Molewhisker, whom Tawnyfur loved more than any cat in the forest? _Could _it even be Sandpaw, whom she knew her life would be imperfect without?

All of a sudden, she understood what Dustfur meant about Breezerunner. She wanted Owlmoon or Lionpelt, both of whom she didn't like, to be chosen in place of her friends and kin. Hell, she would even take Thistletail if the choice were up to her!

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and for the second time that night, she found him staring back. This time, however, his expression couldn't be further from his usual scowl. His gaze was soft, comforting, as if he were trying to wrap his tail around her from across the clearing. What _was _he looking at?

A hush fell over the crowd, and Copperstar stepped down towards the pool. When he touched it, a gray tabby appeared.

"Wolfpelt," he said sadly.

Skypaw watched a gray tabby tom with very long legs weave through the crowd. He had a certain amount of horror etched into his face, but he wasted no time in getting there, even though a few persistent cats slowed him down with by brushing their tails across his pelt as he passed. He nodded to Copperstar when he finally arrived.

"Sir," he purred, forcing a smile. "I always knew you wanted to be rid of me."

The SkyClan cats purred in amusement, and Skypaw admired him for being able to make a joke at a time like this.

"How awful," she heard Dustfur murmur. "Wolfpelt was his apprentice, you know."

Skypaw lowered her gaze and thought about Sleetfur and Rowanheart and Nightstorm. What other family and friends were they leaving behind? Better yet, what was going through their minds as they watched the fourth cat touch his nose to his leader's and join them? Skypaw knew the warrior code demanded sacrifice from all its warriors, but this… surely this was too much.

Copperstar had already said the ceremonial words, and Wolfpelt was now sitting next to Nightstorm and muttering something, but Nightstorm seemed utterly and completely uninterested in whatever it was he had to say.

"Our turn," Sandpaw whispered as Longstar stepped down.

Skypaw stiffened and buried herself further into his pelt. "I don't want it to be you."

"You either," he whispered back, sneaking a quick lick to her cheek. "It'll be okay. Neither of us will be chosen."

"How do you know that?" Skypaw hissed suddenly, her fear melting into anger. "Don't you think Sleetfur said the same thing? Or Nightstorm? Or any of the others? We have no control over what happens! If we're chosen, we _die_!"

Sandpaw glared at her, and Skypaw froze. "I just _know_, okay?" he murmured. "We won't be chosen. Trust me."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the lithe form of Longstar standing before the pool. He didn't say a word, nor did his raise his head to look at his Clanmates—he did, however, pause for a moment, his eyes closed and his lips moving. _He must be praying, _Skypaw thought. Longstar's green eyes opened. It was time. He reached out and placed his paw on the water's surface.

Skypaw shut her eyes. She hastily began to pray that she'd become a warrior, that she'd get the chance to serve her Clan, that she—

All of a sudden, it was over, and ThunderClan cats all around her were howling with outrage, Sandpaw included. He leapt to his feet and left Skypaw cold, numb from the wails of grief coming from a very, very familiar voice. She hadn't heard who was chosen. She couldn't hear anything in the chaotic jumble of screeches and howls. The more she looked, the more confused she became. Half of the cats around her were looking at her. Some of them were saying things to her, trying to press closer to her, but she didn't understand. Who had been chosen? Who's name was called? Why were they all looking at her like that? She shrank further onto the ground and squeezed her eyes shut, praying for some force to carry her back to camp.

_Who was it? _Skypaw thought, panicking. _Was… was it me?! _

All of a sudden, Owlmoon howled with agony. "No!" he wailed. He thrust himself in front of a small, shaky figure that had been trying to reach the Telling Pool on untrustworthy legs that looked ready to bend at any moment. "I won't let you!" the brown warrior cried. "They can't take you! They can't!"

Skypaw suddenly understood.

"Dawnpaw," she whispered as she recognized her twin sister. "_No_!"

* * *

Please R&R!


	3. Choose

**_Chapter Three _**

_ Skypaw was faintly aware _of Longstar's voice echoing through the clearing, silencing the hisses and whispers buzzing around her, but her ears and eyes were zeroed in on her sister, searching Dawnpaw's face. Dawnpaw's worst nightmare had just come true, and she looked like a kit staring dumbly into the sun for the first time. Her steps were clumsy and awkward. Her whole body was trembling. Dawnpaw looked over her shoulder, and Skypaw saw her eyes more clearly. Where she thought she'd see horror there was only sheer, crippling despair. Dawnpaw stood rigidly and watched, motionless, as her mate fought with Longstar.

Something brushed against Skypaw's flank, and she didn't have to turn to know it was Sandpaw. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he whispered hurriedly.

She couldn't find the strength or the words to respond.

Longstar was howling at Owlmoon. Owlmoon was shouting back. It seemed like everyone around her was making _some _kind of noise, and her ears felt ready to burst. The faces around her began to blend together.

"_Get a hold of yourself!_" It felt like Longstar's voice was everywhere. "What's done is done now! You have to let her go!"

The world started to spin. Cats in front of her were just blurs of color, and she didn't recognize anyone. "Mother…" she murmured, shivering. "Where is…?" She searched the shapeless crowd of cats and found her mother standing beside a SkyClan she-cat, her blue eyes wide and her limbs trembling. Her mouth was moving, but Skypaw was too far away to hear her. Slowly, Bluestorm began to creep closer, her blue gaze fixed on her daughter.

_I swore it would be alright, _Skypaw thought, her paws moving of their own accord towards her mirror image. _I told her she wouldn't get picked. I promised! _

Dawnpaw finally moved—she looked up at her mentor, her blue eyes rimmed with tears. "You said I would be safe," she murmured, her voice pitiful. "You promised me… you promised…"

Bluestorm arrived and pushed herself between her daughter and the tabby warrior before Owlmoon could respond. He was thrust back into the crowd, and Bluestorm remained to keep him at bay, her bristling body acting as a shield to protect Dawnpaw from the curious stares of every cat in the clearing, including Skypaw, who lost her for a moment.

_It could've been me_, she thought, her jaw trembling with shock. _It could've been me! Longstar can't tell the difference! It should've been me! I can fight! I'll fight for her! _

Skypaw tried to speak, but her mouth was dry. All that came out was a tiny whisper that no cat heard: "Take me instead…"

Though she couldn't see them, Skypaw heard Longstar say the ceremonial words. There was a long pause in which Dawnpaw was silent. Would Longstar appeal? Every once in a while, a leader could appeal to have the choice altered, but it always came back to haunt the rest of the Clan. Many seasons ago, a WindClan leader appealed to save the life of his mate. As punishment, the Dark Forest took his brother instead. Moons later, when his mate had her kits, they too all died, robbed of their lives by the Dark Forest's lust for revenge.

_ThunderClan loves Dawnpaw, _Skypaw thought, scanning the myriad of faces for some familiar cat. _They adore her! Someone has to appeal! _

The whole clearing was silent, save for the sound of Skypaw's heart beating in her throat. Even those that had been howling their displeasure were silent, waiting for someone, anyone, to make a move. No one spoke up. No one called for an appeal. For a moment longer than Skypaw's brief life, the clearing was eerily still, the only movement the ruffle of pelts as a bitter wind swept through them like a sickness.

At last, Dawnpaw spoke up. "I do," her meek voice said.

Bluestorm stepped out of the way just in time for Skypaw to see Longstar bow his head to touch his nose to Dawnpaw. Skypaw saw him whispering to her. Then Dawnpaw turned, her head low, and took her place with the other cats. All five of them stood under the gazes of the entire forest, some defiant and others defeated. This was the last time they would stand in Fourtrees. When they left this place, they would have just one last day with their Clanmates before meeting their death at sun down. Their fates were sealed. It was only a matter of time before the Dark Forest claimed them all.

_Please, _Skypaw thought desperately, _please let Dawnpaw die easily. Please keep her out of harm's way for as long as possible. _

Skypaw looked up at the moon and felt her fur begin to bristle. StarClan was silently watching over them, helpless to stop the deaths of five innocent cats. _This is your fault! _Skypaw screeched in her head. _You let this happen! You failed! If you miserable flea-bags had won that battle, then none of this would be necessary! It's your fault! _

"Skypaw."

She jumped at the sound of her name and whipped around to see Thistletail. His face was emotionless though his tail twitched in annoyance behind him. "Skypaw, it's time to go," he growled. "All the other cats have left."

Skypaw looked around and felt a rush of embarrassment. The other Clans had filled out while she was hurling her insults at StarClan. She got to her feet. "Er, thanks, I guess."

The ginger warrior stared at her for a moment, unblinking. Then he flicked his tail. "I'll escort you," he grumbled, as though it were some big favor. "Keep pace."

She hissed to herself but followed him. He surprised her by setting a rather slow pace, a crawl just slow enough to accommodate the residual shaking in her legs. The shadows of trees rose and fell over them as they walked in silence.

Skypaw stumbled, and Thistletail stopped, watching her as she rose out of the dirt. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh no, don't help me," she hissed. "Just stand there and watch."

Thistletail looked at her with that strange expression again, and Skypaw spat. "What are you looking at?!" she snapped. "Why do you keep staring at me like that?! Leave me alone!"

"I can't," he growled back.

"Well why in StarClan's name _not_? I never asked you to follow me!"

"Your father did."

Skypaw frowned.

"I was with him when he died," Thistletail explained. "I was his apprentice. We were out hunting by the river when we heard the scream, and…" He trailed off, his gaze dropping to the ground as his lips curled. "I should've stopped him! I should've saved him, but I didn't! I was afraid! I watched him get swept down the river, and if it weren't for Tigerheart, we wouldn't even have his body!" Thistletail struck the ground, scattering leaves into the air. "It's my fault he's dead!"

"I…" Skypaw didn't know what to say.

"Elmwhisker died on the river bank, and I was the last cat to speak to him. He made me promise that I would take care of you and Dawnpaw, but…" He looked up at her at last, his eyes burning and his teeth bared. "Every time I look at you, I see _him_! You have his eyes—the very same eyes I watched closed when I was just nine moons old! I can't look at you without seeing Elmwhisker staring back!"

"Why tell me now?" Skypaw mumbled. "Why does it matter?"

"Because I was supposed to take care of you!" he shouted, squeezing his eyes shut and lashing his tail in frustration. "You and Dawnpaw! I _promised_!"

"Fine job you've done," Skypaw muttered spitefully.

"I know!" he hissed. "I failed! I failed Elmwhisker, and now Dawnpaw is going to die!"

"Yeah, you did fail," Skypaw growled. "Some guardian you are." She spat at the ground near his feet. "I'm wasting my time here. I don't care what happened between you and my father!"

"Skypaw, wait!" he called, but it was too late.

She started sprinting and heard him yelling after her. The forest blurred as she raced as fast as her legs could take her towards the camp. She ran faster and faster until she thought her bones would snap from the effort or her heart would burst from the pain. Thistletail's words echoed in her head, and she saw the image of Dawnpaw, shivering, pathetic Dawnpaw standing with the other four cats as StarClan looked on.

The bramble tunnel slashed at her face and ripped at her pelt, but she didn't notice or care. She burst into the clearing to find her Clan in chaos—Owlmoon was still shouting at Longstar, his lips curled in a snarl and his fur standing on end. Bluestorm was crouched over a sobbing Dawnpaw, who lay in a heap of rippling blue fur. The elders were whipped up in a frenzy, hissing something about the prophecy to any cat that would listen, and in the middle of it all stood Sandpaw, who was searching the crowd for her. The only cat that seemed to know what they were doing was Leopardclaw, who tried again and again to part the sea of cats to get to Dawnpaw, a bundle of poppy seeds in his mouth. Skypaw shoved through everyone until she reached her mother at last.

"Dawnpaw!" she gasped. "I—"

"Don't," her sister growled, raising her head from her paws. Her usually flawless fur was ruffled and matted, and her cheeks were dripping wet with tears. "I don't want to hear it! I don't want to be around you!"

"It's going to be okay!" Skypaw blurted out, desperate to find something to say. "You'll be fine!"

"_I'm going to die_!" Dawnpaw howled. It was loud enough that every cat, even Owlmoon, stopped what they were doing and stared. "I wish it were you instead of me!" she spat. "You always told me you wanted to fight, but I just want to live! I don't want to die like this!"

"Dawnpaw—"

A blur of blue was Skypaw's only warning before her sister's claws tore through her right cheek. She shrieked in surprise and leapt back. Blood began to pour down the side of her face as she stared at her sister in horror. Dawnpaw was a stranger—her tail was standing straight up, her lips curled back, and her claws outstretched and stained with Skypaw's blood.

"Get away from me!" she howled. "Get away!"

Sandpaw appeared beside Skypaw, catching her as she wobbled. "Come with me," he whispered. She nodded and staggered with him into Leopardclaw's den, where Skypaw collapsed and rolled into a serious of powerful sobs. Sandpaw stood over her with his tail on her shoulders, watching. He knew better than to try and calm her with words.

The plants around the entrance rustled, and Robinpelt entered, her eyes wide. "What's happened?" she asked Sandpaw, who stared at her blankly, his emotions on overdrive. "Sandpaw," she growled. "What's happened? Who was chosen?" She became frantic when he didn't reply. "Answer me!" She stole a glance at Skypaw, and her ears pinned. "Skypaw…" Her head snapped up. "Sandpaw! Was it you?"

"No," he mumbled. "It was Dawnpaw."

"Great StarClan…" Robinpelt looked down at the blue-gray apprentice again. "How did she get hurt?"

"Dawnpaw clawed her," he replied. "I didn't see it. I heard Dawnpaw yowl something, and then I heard the hit. She kept screaming about how she wanted Skypaw gone, so I took her here. Is Leopardclaw still out there?"

"I'm here, I'm here," Leopardclaw growled as he jogged into the den. "Ah, there she is. I lost her when Lionpelt started shouting all that nonsense. He…" He stopped and shook his head. "Never mind. I'll get some cobwebs to stop the bleeding."

He squeezed into the crack in the rock and emerged with a paw swathed in cobwebs. "Skypaw," he murmured. "Let me see your cut."

Skypaw gingerly lifted her head. The entire right side of her face was covered in blood, including areas where she'd smeared it onto her muzzle and forehead. Leopardclaw let out a sigh and gently began to smother the wound in cobwebs. Skypaw staid still and let him work, her eyes closed.

Robinpelt motioned to her son and led him away. She stopped him about a length outside the den, close enough to hear the conversation inside but far enough away to be out of earshot. "The Clan has gone crazy," she murmured. "The elders are going on and on about some prophecy, and Lionpelt has stirred everyone up into a frenzy."

"What about Dawnpaw?" Sandpaw asked.

Robinpelt flicked her tail behind her. Glancing over his mother's shoulder, Sandpaw saw that Bluestorm had managed to usher Dawnpaw out of the center of the camp. Owlmoon was missing too, and Longstar was standing at the base of the Highrock, his ears flat against his neck. He beckoned the Clan with his tail.

"Coming?" Sandpaw asked.

She shook her head. "I need to rest," she whispered. "The kits are throwing a fit inside me."

The two parted ways. Sandpaw padded over to sit beside Sableclaw and Molewhisker as Longstar leapt up onto the Highrock to address the Clan.

"What's this all about?" he asked.

"The elders think that Dawnpaw is the cat of the prophecy," Sableclaw replied.

"Prophecy?" Sandpaw echoed. "What prophecy?"

"_On the fated day, the dawn will break,_" Molewhisker recited. "It's been passed down from medicine cat to medicine cat ever since the Selection started. No one knows where it came from or if it's real. Either way, the elders are convinced that the 'dawn' means Dawnpaw."

"So Dawnpaw will live?" Sandpaw asked.

"Maybe," Sableclaw meowed.

"Cats of ThunderClan," Longstar called. "I understand your frustration over such a young cat being chosen for the Selection. It has been quite some time since ThunderClan has faced such a tragedy. However, if it is as Rustfur and the other elders believe, Dawnpaw is the cat of the prophecy. If so, she will be spared, and the curse will be lifted from us."

"We have no reason to believe in this prophecy," hissed Thistletail, and all eyes turned to the ginger warrior. He got to his feet to speak to the Clan. "Can any cat tell me where it came from? Further more, can any cat recite the entire thing?" He paused, letting the Clan murmur amongst themselves. "You can't, can you? This is all just a hoax, a lie to give us false hope. Dawnpaw is going to die, and there's nothing we can do about it. Stop celebrating and mourn her loss!"

"Don't you have any trust in StarClan?" Whiteblossom put in.

Thistletail's eyes grew dangerously sharp at the mention of 'StarClan'. "Why should I?" he growled. "Why should I believe in a treacherous band of cowards?"

"Silence!" Lognstar snapped. "You will not insult StarClan in my presence!"

"Then defend them!" Thistletail yowled. "Give me one good reason why I should put my faith in something I've never seen!"

Longstar opened his mouth but never gave his retort. Suddenly, he launched into a violent coughing fit, his body convulsing with the force of the air rushing from his lungs. His eyes were wide with terror as the fit rolled over him, flattening him. The Clan watched in horrified silence. Thistletail took his seat again. The fit ended as quickly as it began, and Sandpaw swore he saw blood trickling down his leader's chin. Longstar inhaled deeply and drew himself up to speak again. "I believe in StarClan," Longstar mumbled, his voice cracking. "I have to. We all have to in order to survive. _I _want the prophecy to be real. _I _want to hope for a day when the Clans don't have to live in fear. Don't you dream of that day too?"

Longstar half jumped, half slid down from the rock, signaling the meeting was over. The cats began to whisper as Longstar slipped towards the darkness of his den. Before he went in, however, he stopped and looked over his shoulder, catching sight of Sandpaw. He changed course and padded over. Sandpaw could see the haggard look in his eyes and saw that he had been right—there were flecks of red on the white fur of his leader's throat. Longstar looked older than Sandpaw had ever seen him.

"Where is Skypaw?" he rasped.

"Leopardclaw's den."

"Tell her that her warrior ceremony will be tomorrow. I don't want to make them sit vigil—not tonight. Dawnpaw will need all her strength."

Sableclaw rested her tail-tip on Longstar's shoulder. "I'm sure that this is the end of it," she assured him. "It has to be."

"Don't worry about what Thistletail says," Molewhisker added. "Every cat knows he's still bitter over Elmwhisker's death." He dipped his head respectfully. "We trust you, Longstar. I'm sure Dawnpaw does too."

He waved their words away with a flick of his tail. "I've seen a lot of cats die in my life time," he murmured. "Will I finally see one live?" He vanished back into the crowd, stopping to confront Pinefrost and Lionpelt who had stepped up to speak to him.

"He looked so old," Sableclaw murmured.

"And tired," Sandpaw added.

"And desperate," Molewhisker whispered. "I've served Longstar all my life, and I've never seen him like that." He got to his feet. "I'm going to see Tawnyfur and Plumkit. Give Skypaw my condulances."

"She doesn't want them," Sandpaw replied with a forced smile.

The brown tabby purred before heading for the nursery. Sableclaw turned to her apprentice and was about to say something when they were interrupted by some cat calling Sandpaw's name. They turned to see Leopardclaw approaching.

"Skypaw asked for you," he said. "You ought to go and sit with her. She's pretty upset, and Bluestorm is still with Dawnpaw."

Sandpaw nodded. Sableclaw touched her nose to his flank as he left. He let out a purr at her affection and hurried to the medicine cat's den with Leopardclaw lagging behind him. He entered to find Skypaw still curled up in a blue-gray ball, her face hidden by her paws.

"Skypaw?" he whispered. She uncurled and looked up at him. Her face was swathed in cobwebs, and her cheek was swollen. "It's me."

"What are the Clan saying?" she murmured.

"They think that Dawnpaw is part of some kind of prophecy. They think she can survive the Cave and break the curse."

Skypaw shook her head, narrowing her eyes at her paws. "Then they don't know her," she growled. "She isn't strong enough for something like that."

"She sure did a number on you."

Skypaw frowned. "Not funny."

"It was worth a shot." Sandpaw sat down beside her and rested his tail across her flank. "I don't know what it's like," he mumbled. "I never knew my siblings."

"You were blessed," Skypaw growled. "Dawnpaw has spent her entire life trying to be better than me. Just a few hours ago, I _despised _her—I wanted nothing to do with her. But now… now I just… " She stopped, narrowing her eyes. "I just don't want her to die like that. She doesn't deserve it." Skypaw yawned and began to curl again. "I'm going to sleep," she said. "Stay, if you want to. No, actually, do stay. It's colder here than in the apprentices' den."

Sandpaw purred. "Whatever you say." He laid down and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Mind if I sleep here?"

Skypaw didn't reply. She was already asleep.

* * *

Leopardclaw woke up early the next morning, as he often did, and stretched before leaving his nest. His first thoughts were of the new poultice he made for Whiteblosom's paw. It had worked even better than he had hoped, and he planned to make more as soon as possible.

He stepped out into the adolescent sunlight, and his thoughts drifted to Dawnpaw and the upcoming perils she would face. He lifted his eyes to the sky, where the last few warriors of Silverpelt were still shining.

StarClan hadn't spoken to him in moons, not since they sent him a warning shortly before the outbreak of the mysterious virus that killed Sandpaw's littermates. Leopardclaw narrowed his eyes. He had never been a particularly religious cat. He had served Longstar, not StarClan, when he roamed the forests as a warrior.

_Please, StarClan, _he prayed. _Please let the Selection end soon. _

He sought out his guests and found them sleeping intertwined, their tails wrapped around one another's and their noses touching. He moved carefully so as not to wake the young cats. _That didn't take long, _he thought with a purr.

A jolt raced down the medicine cat's spine. His gaze zeroed in on Sandpaw and Skypaw as the rest of the world fell away into nothingness. Sandpaw and Skypaw's pelts flushed to an identical shade of blue-gray. The two cats became nearly identical and began to spin, tumbling and twisting in a never-ending circle. The spun so fast that they blurred into a ring of blue, and they rushed towards Leopardclaw, brushing past him as they spiraled into oblivion. One of the cats shrieked in agony, and the cry filled Leopardclaw's ears.

_Two twins, _Leopardclaw thought as the den and the forest came crawling back. _That's obviously Dawnpaw and Skypaw, but… why did they both vanish? Why did they drag each other down? _

Sandpaw's head popped up, and he blinked his eyes sleepily. "Leopardclaw?" he murmured. "You're up early."

Leopardclaw shook himself. "Ah, yes, good morning, Sandpaw," he replied, coming towards him. "I'm always up early."

"Sounds miserable," Sandpaw muttered. He stood up and stretched with a loud yawn.

"It beats waking up for dawn patrol," Leopardclaw mused, and Sandpaw purred in agreement.

They heard a soft murmur and turned to see Skypaw rising slowly. "Is… " She stopped, yawned, and blinked several times to adjust to the light. "Is Dawnpaw awake?"

The toms exchanged glances and both shrugged. "I just woke up," Leopardclaw admitted. "I haven't seen anyone."

Skypaw nodded and got to her feet. "I'm going to go look for her," she said. "I can't let it end like this. We… we have to talk it out and say goodbye before I lose her forever."

Sandpaw's stomach growled. "Sure, sounds good," he said sheepishly as Skypaw glared at him. "But can we get something to eat first?"

Her glare melted, and Skypaw let out a purr. "Good idea," she replied. She flicked her tail to the den's entrance. "Lead the way."

She followed her fellow apprentice out. Leopardclaw stared after her as his world was seized by another vision. He was in the body of another cat. He was running for his life, feeling tears and blood streaming down his cheeks and a stabbing pain in his side. A light burned ahead, and he clawed desperately at the uneven ground beneath him to try and reach it. He ran faster and faster and then—

Leopardclaw shuddered into consciousness. _Two vision in one day? _he thought, frowning. _StarClan haven't been this active in seasons. They were both so clearly about the twins, but which one? Could that be Dawnpaw? Does this mean Dawnpaw is going to die? _

Outside by the fresh kill pile, Skypaw chose a shrew and padded over to the apprentices' den. "My last time eating here," she mumbled. She cursed herself and looked at Sandpaw, but he hadn't heard. He sat next to her and began grooming himself.

"What do you think my warrior name will be?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Something pretty, I guess."

"I want it to be strong," she said. "Like Skyclaw or something."

Sandpaw purred and swiped at her playfully. "That's a horrible name."

"Skyfang?"

"Still awful."

"Skystorm?"

"Eh…"

Skypaw sighed. "I guess you're right. I'm doomed to Skyfur or Skycloud for the rest of my life."

"At least it beats Sandfur or Sandpelt," her friend purred. "I have a boring name."

The two apprentices shared a purr while Blackpaw and Ravenpaw crawled out of the den, both yawning and blinking to adjust to the light. "'Morning," Ravenpaw mumbled. He eyed Skypaw's shrew. "You're allowed to eat? No fair."

Skypaw took one last bite and pushed it towards him. "Take it. I'm not that hungry." She stared into the darkness of the den. "Is Dawnpaw still asleep?"

Blackpaw shrugged. "I haven't seen her since last night."

She frowned. "Did she sleep in the warriors' den?"

"Maybe she's with Owlmoon," Ravenpaw suggested.

"Maybe," Skypaw echoed. _I sure hope not! _

"She'll turn up," Sandpaw said. "Where could she run off to?"

He knew he'd said the wrong thing instantly. Skypaw lowered her head and looked away.

"Well, let's go look for her," Sandpaw suggested.

"Alright." Skypaw got up. "Where should we start?"

He flicked his tail to the Highrock where Tigerheart, Longstar, Lionpelt, and Owlmoon were gathered. "We can ask them if they've seen her. It looks like they've just gotten back from a patrol."

The closer they got to the group, the more Skypaw worried. They were talking about her sister, she could tell. By the look on Owlmoon's face, it wasn't' good. Tigerheart caught sight of her apprentice and flicked her tail across Longstar's shoulder. The group fell silent and stared as she approached.

"Skypaw," Longstar said. "Have you seen your sister this morning?"

Skypaw chanced a look at Sandpaw, whose eyes echoed her concern. "We were about to ask you the same thing," she replied. "Has no cat seen her?"

"Not so far," Tigerheart replied. She curled a lip at Owlmoon, who cowered before her. "This mouse brain claims he snuck her out of camp last night, and that was the last time he saw her."

Skypaw spat a curse at Owlmoon, and no cat scolded her. Owlmoon tried to hide behind Lionpelt.

"We have to find her," Lionpelt growled. "We all know what happened to Barktail."

Barktail was a SkyClan cat that was chosen at the Selection many seasons ago. Much to SkyClan's dismay, he died in an accident that night. When the SkyClan leader and medicine cat appeared without him, the Cave trembled with the Dark Forest's rage. They returned the next morning to find that five of their cats had dropped dead with their eyes wide and their mouths twisted in a silent scream.

"We'll find her," Tigerheart replied. "We can't let that happen."

They heard a yowl, and the cats looked up to see Bluestorm, Thistletail, Pinefrost, and Kestrelwing returning. The four cats rushed over to their leader.

"No sign of her," panted Pinefrost. "We ran all over the place."

"Where did you two go last night?" Longstar demanded of Owlmoon. "Somewhere near camp?"

"_What_?" Bluestorm hissed, shoving her way past Lionpelt. "You snuck my daughter out of camp?!"

Owlmoon flattened his ears against his head. "I-I-It was her idea!" he stammered. "She said she wanted to talk to me, but all she did was yell! She was screaming and clawing at me, and… and then she left! She took off without telling me where she was going!"

"I hope you never have kits, Owlmoon," Bluestorm spat. "I wouldn't want more than one cat as mouse brained as you polluting the forest."

Skypaw did a double take. Was this really her mother, her gentle, docile mother? She _never _expected to hear something that sinister out of Bluestorm's mouth!

"Don't give up hope yet, Bluestorm," Longstar said as Owlmoon probably wished he were a speck of dust in the wind instead of a warrior standing next to an angry queen.

"But we've been tracking her scent, and it's taken us nowhere," meowed Pinefrost. "There isn't a single fresh trail leading out of camp!"

"Maybe because I never left."

The small cluster of cats nearly leapt out of their fur at the sound of Dawnpaw's voice. They scrambled backwards to get a better view of her perched on the Highrock, her long tail streaming out behind her. A leaf dappled with red law beside her paws. Her expression was unreadable, but Skypaw swore she saw the makings of a smirk on her lips.

"You know," Dawnpaw mused, "I never thought I'd be standing here. It's a nice little view you have, Longstar. Everyone looks so small and insignificant."

"Dawnpaw!" Bluestorm exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

Dawnpaw narrowed her eyes. "Please, no interruptions," she hissed. "Do you interrupt Longstar when he's making an announcement?" She lashed her tail from side to side, glaring down at the cats. Her eyes rested on Owlmoon, and she bared her fangs at her mentor and former mate. "When I was just made an apprentice," she snarled, "I asked that flea bag of a mentor what the Selection was, and he told me. It was terrifying—the thought that I could randomly be chosen to suffer for something I didn't do… It kept me awake at night. And do you know what Owlmoon said to me? He said that queens were safe, and that as long as I had a litter of kits beside me, I'd be totally protected. He said that as long as I loved him and had his kits, I would never have to worry about the Dark Forest or battles or any of the things that haunted my nightmares. And I believed him."

Skypaw and the rest of the cats glared at Owlmoon, whose shame was obvious. If Owlmoon spontaneously combusted and burst to a crisp, well… Skypaw wouldn't really give a rat's tail about it.

Behind her, she heard Longstar murmur to Kestrelwing, "Go get Leopardclaw."

"You were wrong, weren't you sweetheart?" hissed Dawnpaw. "You lied to me!"

Owlmoon raised his head. Tears were streaming down his face. "Please!" he begged. "I-I—"

"Shut up!" Dawnpaw snapped. "I hate you!" She raised her gaze, and it bore down on all of them. "I hate _all _of you! You could have appealed! Any of you could have appealed! But you did _nothing_!"

"Dawnpaw," Longstar said soothingly. "We can talk about this. We—"

"Oh yes, if it isn't the _noble _Longstar, here to save the day!" Dawnpaw spat at him. "Do you know what he said to me at the Selection? '_Die well_', he said. Thanks for the advice, you miserable piece of crowfood!"

Longstar recoiled from her insults. "Dawnpaw," he tried again. "I was only trying to comfort you."

"_Shut up_!" she howled, her paws teetering on the edge of the Highrock as if she were forcing herself with every fiber of her being not to attack him. Her eyes were red, and her paws were muddy and still spattered with blood. If it were for her long, feathery tail, Skypaw might not have recognized her. "You want this!" Dawnpaw shouted. "You all want this! You think that feeding me to that monster will make the curse go away, but it won't!" She looked down at the leaf at her paw. "Owlmoon may have been the worst mentor in the forest, but he taught me one thing," she murmured. "Serve the Clan. Give them what they want. I know what you all want from me." She stepped aside to give the cats a better view of her prize—three berries the color of droplets of blood. "I, as an _honorable _member of ThunderClan, have a duty to serve my Clan."

Several cats around her gasped, but Skypaw didn't understand why. The berries looked familiar, but she didn't recognize them until a voice gasped, "Deathberries!"

She whipped around to see that Kestrelwing had succeeded in bringing Leopardclaw, who was staring up at Dawnpaw in horror. "Don't do it!" Leopardclaw shouted. "Dawnpaw, don't!"

"I didn't choose to be born into this forest," Dawnpaw murmured, ignoring Leopardclaw's plea. "I didn't choose my family or my Clan. I didn't choose to be born into the prophecy or to be picked the die. But I can choose this." She looked up, scanning the crowd one last time, and her gaze rested on Skypaw. "I choose death," she said, staring right into Skypaw's eyes. "Please don't try to stop me."

"_No_!" Bluestorm shrieked. She leapt at the rock, but it was too late—Dawnpaw had already swallowed all three. She looked down at her mother, smiling, her teeth stained slightly red from the skin of the berries.

"How sweet," Dawnpaw purred. "At least one cat cared."

* * *

Please R&R!


	4. Red Dawn

**_Chapter Four_**

"No…" Skypaw murmured, staring up in astonishment as her sister licked the last of the Deathberries from her chin. "Dawnpaw, no…"

Dawnpaw let out a rumbling purr that stopped abruptly as her body convulsed. She choked and tried to sink her claws into the Highrock to brace herself as her frail body revolted, trembling and rippling every which way. Foam bubbled up from her throat and poured out of the sides of her mouth. All the while her wide, blue eyes stared out into the crowd of cats. Dawnpaw began to slip. She lost her balance and tumbled, spiraling through the air and landing with a hard thud at the base of the rock, her body still pitching and rolling with convulsions.

"_Dawnpaw_!" Bluestorm shrieked. She scrambling over to her daughter's side and threw herself over top of her, trying to pin her down and stop her shaking. "Dawnpaw, stay with me!"

Leopardclaw shoved past Skypaw and rushed over to her. He stared down in horror as Dawnpaw's shaking grew worse, and the foam was tainted with flecks of blood.

"Do something!" Bluestorm hissed at him. "Don't just stand there! Save her!"

"I… I can't," Leopardclaw murmured. "There's no cure…"

Bluestorm gnashed her teeth and bit back a wail. "You're lying! You _have _to save her! Please!" She heard Dawnpaw moan and whipped her head back to the thrashing creature that had once been her daughter. "Dawnpaw!"

All at once, Dawnpaw lay still. Foam still bubbled from her lips and her needle-like pupils still throbbed as she stared, unseeing, at her mother's paws. In that instant, no cat moved—Skypaw felt the world grind to a screeching halt long enough for her to watch the light fade slowly, painfully slowly, from Dawnpaw's eyes. In a moment too fast for her to even acknowledge, her sister died.

"No, no, _no_!" Bluestorm shouted. "Dawnpaw!" She buried her muzzle into her daughter's fur, and her shoulders shook with powerful sobs. Dawnpaw's fur muffled the sound of her wailing, but every warrior felt it straight to their bones. They began to back away to give the grieving queen space, but as they retreated, Owlmoon slunk forward, his mouth agape and ears flat against his neck in shock. Bluestorm heard him creeping towards her and raised her head. She curled her lips at him to reveal fangs yellowed from countless battles.

"_You_!" she howled. "_You _did this!" She stood protectively over Dawnpaw, and her back arched with fury. "Don't you _dare _touch my daughter! Don't you _dare _come near her!"

Owlmoon didn't listen. He took a step forward, murmuring, "Bluestorm, I—"

Bluestorm lashed out in the blink of and eye and raked her claws across Owlmoon's face. "Stay away from my family!" she howled. She rose up on her hind legs and crashed down on him, sheering his fur and tearing his skin without mercy. Owlmoon's blood burst into the air. "Get away from us! Get away!" She smacked Owlmoon hard enough to knock him to the ground, and she lunged forward, pinning him. She stood over him with her fangs bared and her eyes burning with pure hatred. Skypaw's legs wouldn't obey her. She couldn't do anything to stop her mother from tearing Owlmoon to shreds. No other cat moved either. They were all too frozen with the shock of seeing the usually calm, reserved Bluestorm lash out in such a violent way.

Bluestorm raised a paw, her claws outstretched. Skypaw didn't want to see the murder, but she couldn't look away. All of a sudden, the anger drained from Bluestorm's face, replaced by grief. She looked over her shoulder at Dawnpaw's body and lowered her paw. "I won't kill you," she growled. "But if I ever see you in this camp again, I will rip your throat out and feed it to the crows. Do you understand?"

Owlmoon's reply was a garbled mess of a sob.

The blue-gray queen gave him one last slash to the face before letting him up. Owlmoon streaked out of camp, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. He didn't look back.

Lionpelt thrust his way through the crowd and hissed in Bluestorm's face. "You can't do that! You don't have the authority!"

"Shut up!" Bluestorm snapped. "If you want to join that wretched apprentice of yours, _be my guest_, but if he steps foot in this camp again, he's crowfood!"

Lionpelt narrowed his amber gaze, his claws slowly inching out of their sheaths. "You mouse brained fool," he snarled. "You're blaming Owlmoon for that useless scrap of fur's own failure!"

Hissing, Bluestorm arched her back and rose up on the tips of her paws, nearly doubling in size. "That's my daughter you're talking about!" she shouted. "Show some respect!"

"Respect for _what_?" Lionpelt whipped around and spat at Dawnpaw's body. "Look what she's done! Now we have no sacrifice—now we have no chance! Who knows how many cats they'll kill?! Your vermin of a daughter was too cowardly to even try!"

Maybe Lionpelt had grown tired of having a full set of ears. Maybe he was jealous of other warriors that had more scars. Whatever the reason he decided to insult an irrational Bluestorm, he had no earthly _idea _how much he would regret opening his mouth.

Bluestorm raised a paw, her claws glinting like meat hooks and ready to put Lionpelt in his place. Lionpelt crouched down, preparing to hit her in the belly and maybe knock her out. The cats around them stiffened, and Skypaw shut her eyes.

But it never happened. In the split second before Bluestorm's paw ripped through his skin, Longstar stepped between them. Bluestorm gasped but was unable to stop herself—she easily tore into her leader's mangled pelt, and blood splattered across her face and into the dust around them. She let out a hiss of surprise and leapt away from him, staring at her paws as if they were on fire.

"I'm so sorry!" she shouted. "I didn't mean—"

"That's enough fighting," Longstar said. If he felt any pain from the gaping wound on his shoulder, he didn't show it. He turned his gaze on Lionpelt, whose ears flattened. "From both of you. A young cat is dead, and our Clan has matters to discuss." Longstar stole at glance at his bleeding shoulder, his expression unreadable. "I want to see the senior warriors in my den."

"Longstar, wait," Lionpelt hissed as Tigerheart, Molewhisker, Kestrelwing, and Pinefrost stalked towards their leader's den. "Surely you're not siding with the doting mother?"

Longstar narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what you mean."

"We've just lost our chance to end the curse! If ThunderClan were the ones to break it, imagine the debt the others Clans would owe us!"

"You're as bloodthirsty as ever, brother," growled Leopardclaw as he padded over to Longstar's side. "Leave it. Can't you see that Bluestorm and Skypaw are tying to grieve?"

Perhaps Lionpelt had never seen Skypaw sitting there, or had never seen her before in his life, but the instant he turned his amber eyes on her, he looked renewed. A evil spark spurred to live in him. Skypaw felt a chill run down her spin, and she pressed her belly against the ground to try and hide from him. What in StarClan's name was that look he was giving her?

"Longstar."

"Yes?"

"Do you think the Dark Forest can be fooled?"

Longstar narrowed his eyes. "Explain."

"I mean, do you think we could trick them, convince them that we've sent our sacrifice?"

Longstar turned to Leopardclaw, who shrugged, equally confused. "How?"

Lionpelt let out a humorless purr. "What if we sent Skypaw in Dawnpaw's place?" Once the words left his mouth, every cat, even those Skypaw swore hadn't been there only moments ago, turned their gaze on the blue-gray she-cat. Tawnyfur was there, her expression one of horror at the idea of sacrificing Skypaw. Thistletail was there, his gaze the same confusing blend of comfort and anxiety she'd seen the night before. Even Cloudpatch was there, her eyes showing a clear relief that it was _Dawnpaw _dead and not her. Skypaw felt numb—she didn't want to cry or wail or yowl in protest. She just wanted to vanish, like smoke.

"They're twins," Lionpelt went on. "They fool me every day. Would it be enough to fool the Dark Forest?"

Bluestorm howled with rage and put herself between him and Skypaw. "Never!" she shouted. "I won't let you take my only daughter!"

Only daughter. Skypaw nearly fainted at the words. It was always 'my dear daughters' or 'my beloved twins'. Never just her.

"Think of the lives she'd be saving!" yowled Lionpelt. "At least it would only be one cat and not half the Clan! Stop being so selfish, Bluestorm!"

Bluestorm narrowed her eyes at him. "Selfish?" she echoed. "I'm _selfish_? I lost my mate, my parents, my brother, my daughter, and now you want to Skypaw from me too?"

"We're talking about the life of an innocent cat," snapped Leopardclaw. "How is that being selfish?"

"We've all had to make sacrifices," hissed Lionpelt.

"You more than anyone?" Leopardclaw replied. "Are you the expert on loss? Do you know how idiotic you sound right now?"

Lionpelt narrowed his eyes at Skypaw. "It's the best chance we have."

Sandpaw rushed over to stand beside Bluestorm, cutting off Skypaw's view. "You'll have to go through me!"

"Not hard!" Lionpelt spat. "I'll flay you in seconds!"

The fur on Sandpaw's spine stood straight up. "Come at me then!"

"Stop this!" Longstar howled. "Stop fighting!"

Light flashed and blinded every cat in the clearing for one heart-pounding instant. They heard the crack of thunder and screamed as a bolt of lightning struck the ground just tail-lengths away from where the elders stood around Dawnpaw's body. The cats scattered as the ground ignited. Skypaw watched from where Sandpaw had thrown her as the flame sprung to life only to be put down by a torrent of rain. With a hiss, the tawny tom dragged her towards the apprentices' den and thrust her in. Blackpaw and Ravenpaw were already there, hiding. Skypaw snuck away from Sandpaw and crawled into her nest. Dawnpaw's scent was still clinging to the nettles.

"I can't believe that piece of fox-dung!" shouted Sandpaw, unsheathing his claws. "It's outrageous! He's only thinking of himself!"

"No…" Skypaw mumbled. She raised her head to look at them. "No. Think about it, Sandpaw. He's right. If I go, I can convince the Dark Forest that I'm Dawnpaw. Maybe I can even break the curse. I'm a pretty good fighter, right? Tigerheart always tells me I have the meanest swing of the apprentices."

"No!" Sandpaw shouted. "I won't let you go!"

"Cats of ThunderClan!" Longstar shouted over the pounding rain. "Gather under the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Cautiously, Sandpaw stuck his head out first, his neck and shoulders quickly becoming soaked through. He then motioned to Blackpaw and Ravenpaw who stuck closely together. Skypaw came out last. She was staggering slightly, shaken by what she'd just seen and said. Was she really brave enough to give up her life to save ThunderClan?

As the other cats congregated, the rain died down to a small sprinkle. A few warriors tried to come up to Skypaw, but Ravenpaw and Blackpaw flanked her. Tigerheart and Sableclaw came through the crowd to meet them and guided them over to a safe spot to sit, away from curious cats. They settled down to listen to what their leader had to say.

"As you all know by now," Longstar said, "Dawnpaw is dead. She killed herself by eating Deathberries. It should please you to hear," he continued, raising his voice to put down the murmurs spreading through the crowd, "that the one responsible for her death, Owlmoon, has been driven out by Bluestorm. I will uphold his banishment."

Skypaw felt Blackpaw and Ravenpaw pressing into her flanks. She flicked an ear in gratitude.

"You all also know that Dawnpaw was the Selection's chosen cat," Longstar went on. "We all know that the Dark Forest's wrath is great, and that we will be punished if no representative from ThunderClan enters the cave. Lionpelt has come up with a way that we can save ourselves from the Dark Forest's killing." He shut his eyes. "He suggests that we send Skypaw."

Howls of outrage sprang into the air, and Lionpelt shot them down with one of his own. "Better one cat than half the Clan!" he shouted.

"It's outrageous!" screamed Tigerheart, who had leapt to her feet. "I won't let you!"

"Think!" Lionpelt shouted again. "A life for all our lives!"

Before any other cat could argue, Longstar silenced them with a yowl. "What Lionpelt says has some truth," he said quietly. "Skypaw, if the Clan decides, will you go into the Cave in place of your sister?"

Skypaw flattened her ears against her head as the Clan looked to her. "I…" She saw her mother staring at her from the front of the crowd, her cheeks stained with tears. Bluestorm shook her head at her softly and mouthed, _please. _"I…" She saw Sandpaw's terrified expression and closed her eyes to block him out. "I would!" she cried out. "I would!"

Bluestorm screamed.

"Quiet!" Longstar cried. "We'll have a vote! Every cat should come to me individually and tell me whether they think Skypaw should go. That is all!"

With that, he vaulted off the Highrock and into his den. The cats fought to form a line at the entrance and started up a loud clamor of opinions. Sandpaw turned to shout to Skypaw, but when he looked, he saw that she was gone.

"Where'd she go?" he hissed to Blackpaw.

The black tom shook his head. "I don't know! I lost her in the crowd!"

"We need to find her!" Sandpaw shouted. "She's not dumb enough to kill herself, but it's too dangerous for her to be running around!"

The toms nodded to each other and took off in her tracks.

Leopardclaw sat in the center of the camp beside Dawnpaw's body, watching his Clanmates bicker amongst themselves. His eyes trickled to the peaceful look on Dawnpaw's face, and he resisted the urge to growl. "Look what you've done," he murmured, resting his tail on her flank. "The Clan is falling apart."

Dawnpaw kept on smiling.

* * *

"Skypaw!"

"Hey, Skypaw!"

The blue-gray she-cat shrank further back into the bush. She wasn't mad at Sandpaw, or even at the rest of the Clan. She just didn't want to be around when they made their decisions. She couldn't imagine their pitiful eyes and their meaningless words of encouragement. Things weren't going to be _alright _and they certainly weren't _okay_—in a few hours, she could be marching to her death, all because Dawnpaw couldn't bear the responsibility herself.

_I still hate you, _Skypaw thought, hoping to reach Dawnpaw's spirit if she was indeed in StarClan. _I will always hate you. _

She heard pawsteps around her and flattened herself along the ground. Sandpaw and Blackpaw's feet appeared in front of her. They were arguing, just like every one else in the Clan. No cat could keep a leveled head today. They bickered for a minute or two before taking off, splashing water into Skypaw's face.

Yesterday, she had splashed Dawnpaw in the very same creek. Yesterday seemed like ages ago.

A few minutes later, she heard pawsteps again. This time, the cat stopped right in front of her. She saw dark ginger feet and recognized Thistletail's scent.

"You're the _last _cat I wanted to find me!" she hissed, still trying to bury herself in the bush. "Leave me alone!"

Thistletail ignored her. He jammed his broad head into the bush and grabbed her by the scruff. She screeched in protest as he dragged her out and plopped her down. She got to her feet to try and run, and he pinned her down with a well-placed paw between her shoulder blades. She struggled and spat and fought against him, but it was useless, and she knew it. He was twice her size.

She gave up the fight and lay still. "I hate you," she hissed, the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

"Elmwhisker didn't tell me to love you," Thistletail growled. "He didn't even tell me to like you. He just said to protect you, so that's what I'm doing."

"You worthless piece of fox-dung!" she shouted. "How many times do I have to say that I don't care about—"

Thistletail rammed his other paw down onto Skypaw's head, pushing her face into the mud. "Quiet," he hissed. "I've had about enough of your complaints." He leaned down and picked her up by the scruff again. Unfortunately, she was too big for him to lift off the ground, so her tail and back legs dragged through the mud as he kidnapped her. He was taking her back to camp. She panicked and squirmed in his jaws, but he changed course. He took her to Leopardclaw's den and opened his jaws, letting her flop onto the ground with a thud.

"Stay here," he ordered. "I have to go vote."

He left. Skypaw stuck her tongue out at him as he went. She was about to get up and storm off again when Blackpaw and Sandpaw burst into the den.

"Oh, great," she growled as they rushed over. "More well-wishers."

"We thought you were running away!" Sandpaw hissed. "We were worried!"

Skypaw looked down at her muddy paws. "I'm not going anywhere," she muttered. "I'll stay here and wait for the Clan to vote. So go on, go out there and get in line already. I don't want to die just because you two were too busy getting lost."

The two toms exchanged glances but obeyed. They padded out into the clearing. The line was beginning to die down. They saw Thistletail at the end and slipped in behind him. Sandpaw turned to say something, but Leopardclaw called his name.

The medicine cat jogged over. "Where's Skypaw?"

"Waiting," Sandpaw replied. "She wants to be alone."

"Fair enough." Leopardclaw grunted and followed the curve of the line with his eyes. "Most of the Clan has voted," he said, lowering his voice to a whisper. "I overhead a lot of them. They're voting for her to go."

Sandpaw let out a hiss, but Leopardclaw stopped him with a flick of his tail. "Rubblefur never taught me about interpreting StarClan will's, but this sure feels like divine intervention, doesn't it? And then there's the prophecy—_On the fated day, the dawn will break, and the sky will wash away the curse._"

Sandpaw cocked his head. "That's not the prophecy Molewhisker recited."

Leopardclaw huffed. "And you trust him over me?" He sighed and shut his eyes. "Truthfully, I don't know if that's the true version of the prophecy. No cat does. It's been handed down for so long that something could've changed along the way. Maybe we'll never know what StarClan really meant."

The line had been steadily moving forward. Thistletail went into the den in front of them, and the three toms stared.

"I wonder what he'll vote," Blackpaw mumbled.

"He'll vote no," Leopardclaw said. "I'm sure of it."

They waited a moment until Thistletail poked his head out. He saw them and nodded his head briskly before trotting off and disappearing into the warriors' den. "That leaves just you two," Leopardclaw said. "I pray you make the right decision."

The two apprentices looked to each other. "Let's go to together," Blackpaw suggested.

Sandpaw nodded. "After you."

* * *

"Skypaw. Skypaw, wake up. Longstar is making an announcement."

The apprentice opened her eyes groggily to see Leopardclaw standing over her. "Everyone voted already?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Blackpaw and Sandpaw were the last ones."

Skypaw got up and followed him out into camp. The Clan had already gathered, and all eyes turned on her. Bluestorm opened her mouth to call her over, but Skypaw sat by Sandpaw and Ravenpaw before she had a chance. Longstar cleared his throat before speaking.

"Cats of ThunderClan," he said. "You have all voted. I have counted the votes and made a decision based upon them. I will announce the verdict. Longstar let out a sigh. "There were thirteen votes for and nine against. And I have decided to honor the vote. At sunhigh, Leopardclaw, Skypaw, and I will travel to Cave. That is my final decision!" he shouted when cries of outrage sounded through them. "The last thing I can do for Skypaw is give er a warrior name." He beckoned to the she-cat with his tail. "Come forward. You two, Sandpaw," he added, and Sandpaw brightened. "You've earned this."

The two apprentices made their way to the Highrock, and the crowd parted to let them go.

Longstar raised his eyes to the sky as they sat down in his shadow. "I, Longstar of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend as warriors in return." His eyes found Sandpaw first, "Sandpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Sandpaw nodded curtly. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Sandpaw, from this moment on you will by known as Sandstone. StarClan honors you for your courage and loyalty."

Longstar leapt down and placed his head on Sandstone's. He licked his shoulder in response, and Longstar turned to Skypaw.

"Skypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Skypaw swallowed, knowing the full meaning of those words. By the look in Longstar's eyes, she knew that he was asking her, pleading her silently to save his Clan. She dipped her head slightly. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Skypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Skyeyes. StarClan honors you for your loyalty and selflessness."

He placed his head on Skyeyes'. "This is what I really whispered to your sister the night of the Selection," he whispered into her ear. "ThunderClan will always be with you. StarClan will always light your path. Even if you stand in darkness, there will always be a light at the end of the road."

Skyeyes nodded and licked his shoulder. "Thank you, Longstar."

"Sandstone! Skyeyes! Sandstone! Skyeyes!"

The Clan took up their names, and Skyeyes felt a rush of loyalty course through her. She knew she'd give up her life for these cats no matter what. Sandstone turned to her and let out a purr.

"Guess Sandpelt isn't in my future after all," he said.

She purred right back. "I guess not."

Bluestorm came over, her eyes filled with tears. "Skyeyes," she murmured. "It's such a beautiful name, such a fitting name. You have your father's eyes."

Skyeyes nodded but said nothing. She leaned into her mother's shoulder and felt Bluestorm showering her ears with soft licks. She shut her eyes and pretended for moment that she was just a kit, playing in the nursery without a care in the world. All too soon, Longstar broke the spell.

"Skyeyes," he said. "I need to ask a favor of you."

She lifted her head. "What?"

"I need you to go by Dawnstorm for me. That's…" He trailed off, his eyes drifting to the ground. "That was the name I was going to give your sister, were she here right now. In honor of you, Bluestorm."

The longhaired she-cat bowed her head. "I wish she were here more than you know," Bluestorm mumbled.

"She's in StarClan now, and she'll watch over Skyeyes and keep her safe" Longstar dipped his head respectfully to Skyeyes. "I have great faith in you."

Skyeyes purred and turned to Sandstone. "Let's go celebrate!"

"Wait." Bluestorm blocked her path with her tail. "First, we have to bury Dawnpaw…"

The two she-cats looked over to where Dawnpaw lay in the center of camp. Skyeyes sighed. "Why does Dawnpaw _always _get to go first?"

* * *

Please R&R!


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